Ashford roadworks cause severe delays and hit town centre trade

Essential gas network upgrades and infrastructure projects have triggered severe traffic delays and dealt a heavy blow to local commerce. In Ashford, traders report a sharp fall in customer numbers as rolling road closures force motorists to make U-turns and avoid the town centre entirely, according to reporting by Kent Online. Similar transport disruption is unfolding across various regions as utility providers and highway authorities execute overdue maintenance and long-term modernization programmes.

The disruption in Ashford follows a structured sequence of utility interventions. Residents previously endured a month-long period of delays when gas company SGN initiated network upgrades in New Street after the Easter weekend. That initial phase closed the roadway from the Magazine Road roundabout to the Farmfoods car park until Friday, May 1. A subsequent phase got underway on Tuesday and is scheduled to last until June 5, closing Somerset Road in both directions between New Street and North Street. Drivers face alternative routes along Elwick Road and Canterbury Road, while four-way temporary traffic lights were erected on both sides of New Street, compounding bottlenecks.

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The impact on daily commerce has been immediate. Kyle Leacock, owner of Petals Perfection, stated that his business has lost a substantial share of its trade since the roadworks began. The 34-year-old Singleton resident noted that customers attempting to reach his shop are forced to turn back, prompting a surge in delivery requests that he cannot fulfil for patrons residing further afield in Wye and Folkestone. Similarly, Beata Krakowiak, owner of the Sowa Polish Shop, pointed out that shoppers are choosing to bypass Ashford altogether in favour of neighbouring towns like Folkestone, Canterbury, and Maidstone to avoid queues and recurring road closures.

"It’s been mental the last couple of days with these roadworks outside of the shop. There’s cars having to come back on themselves, so it’s definitely putting people off coming into the town."

Kyle Leacock, Petals Perfection owner, via Kent Online

Commuters have likewise altered their daily routines. Chyna Ma, founder of MA Beauty Academy, abandoned driving from her home in Sturry after finding her typical commute ballooned from thirty-five to forty minutes up to two hours. She now relies on the train to reach her Middle Row unit.

Utility representatives maintain that the interventions are unavoidable. SGN bosses defend the project as a vital component of a long-term initiative to replace deteriorated metallic gas mains with modern plastic piping. SGN issued a statement emphasizing that the work guarantees a continued safe and reliable supply of gas to local homes and businesses, acknowledging that while roadworks cause frustration, they remain essential for energy infrastructure.

Parallel transportation challenges are visible in other regions. In Glasgow, nine months of roadworks began on Monday morning on Junction 26 of the M8, impacting both eastbound and westbound carriageways on a route used by 150,000 people daily. Amey is leading the £10m programme to upgrade and refurbish four bridges built in 1968 that carry the M8 over local roads and the railway. Meanwhile, in Tallinn, Estonia, roadworks are restricting traffic through September and October, highlighted by the Hipodroom intersection project converting a 2+1 lane layout to 2+2 lanes, as reported by Deputy Mayor Joel Jesse.

As local businesses navigate the ongoing disruption, attention turns to the completion dates of the current phases. SGN's operations in Ashford and similar utility projects elsewhere highlight the friction between maintaining ageing subterranean utilities and preserving the immediate accessibility required by high street traders. SGN's phase two works in Ashford are scheduled to run until June 5.