Gridlock hits Tunbridge Wells as residents face multiple road closures

KentOnline / KMTV

Ongoing utility works across the town have caused major congestion, with locals questioning why so many roads are closed at once.  Gabriel Morris reports.

Transcript

00:00Talk to Tunbridge Wells locals and they'll tell you traffic clogs for roads

00:05at rush hour but right now multiple road closures have brought the town to a

00:09near standstill. Residents say congestion has never been worse. At the

00:14moment it's just unbearable so yesterday for example it took me 45

00:19minutes from the Trinity of Art the cinema to go back to my place that is

00:24near the front road that usually takes five minutes. I just think it's

00:29unplanned emergency work has to be done the effect on the local economy is huge

00:37the frustration is huge the pollution is huge. It's more than inconvenient isn't it

00:43you miss I missed an appointment by the way so yeah. Was it an important

00:48appointment? Fairly important-ish yeah. What does that mean now for you? That means I

00:53was late and the person I was going to meet was late that means their day's

00:58late my day's late and of course it's a knock-on effect so. Five major roadworks

01:04are happening across the town drivers say even the usual rat runs have jammed up

01:09the biggest problem seemingly coming from this main route into the town being

01:14closed and if you try to take a diversion you'll likely hit another closure like

01:20this one on Linden Park Road. People are asking why authorities allowed so many roads to close

01:27at once. But agencies say these works are essential and it means Kent County Council

01:33under current legislation virtually has no say about when they happen.

01:39Southern Water shut Front Road to stop disconnected sewage pipes from leaking into the River Grom,

01:46something the local MP has long called to fix. Ripple Effect has been investigating

01:52for pollution and says the river was virtually dead. They believe this repair work is crucial.

01:58But when we tested at the very start of the month we went down on a Monday lunchtime took

02:02our samples and ammonia was very high it was much higher than we'd seen it before and we

02:08searched for invertebrates there are eight that we look for in particular we normally find a

02:13few and we found absolutely none so we were very concerned reported it to the Environment

02:18Agency and Southern Water. When the Environment Agency confirmed there was sewage in there they

02:23were quick to rat to Southern Water. I'm delighted that they're fixing the problem.

02:29The road works may continue for another week or more that means drivers will face delays for

02:34a little longer but experts say saving the rivers ecology makes the disruption worthwhile.

02:43So you check that out why people are worried about the people that have been

02:48seriously given it for people who were Queensland?

02:49So what do you think about them?

02:50So, this one is actually what the game did we do for one week or the guerra?

02:51And if you don't know, it seems impossible to have been dragged to it.

02:53So what do you think about them?

02:53So how do you think about them?

02:55It's a beautiful thing.

02:56So what do you think about them in the future?

02:57So what want them to be doing?

02:58So what's going on, I'm getting it to the pierce on the back of God?

03:00How do you think about them that are how you are missing?

03:00So what you think about them?

03:02So what you're saying is that as you're going to be able to see the

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