CLOSURE of a section of the A2 brought traffic to a standstill around parts of Gravesend this morning (Sunday).

Drivers have been warned by the Highways Agency to allow extra time for their journeys when the A2 near Cobham is fully closed over three weekends in February while the old A2 Thong Lane bridge is demolished.

The bridge will be taken down over three 18-hour closures between the Tollgate and Cobham junctions starting this weekend.

In each case the road will close at 9pm on Saturday evening and reopen at 3pm the following day.

There are signed diversion routes in place directing trunk road traffic to the M20, as well as separate diversions for local traffic.

Phil Cheesmur, project leader for the Highways Agency, said: "The scheme is progressing well, and the demolition of the old bridge is an important step in the improvements we are making to the A2. The span of the old bridge is too small to allow us to widen the road beneath it to dual four lanes with hard shoulders. The new bridge overcomes this problem, and also now allows two lanes of traffic to cross over the A2.

"A temporary closure of this stretch of the A2 is essential so that we can complete the demolition work safely. By carrying out the work in a series of short closures at weekends we hope to limit any delays."

The work is part of the second phase of the £144m A2 Bean to Cobham improvement programme which is widening the A2 to four lanes in each direction and providing a hard shoulder. A new Thong Lane bridge was built as part of the scheme and opened to traffic on December 20 2007.

Work on the scheme began in September 2006 and is expected to be complete in December 2008.