How Medway Tunnel closures work, plus Frindsbury Roundabout night resurfacing and Cornwallis Avenue shut to 20 November. Updated November 2026.

Five towns, one river and a single A2 threading the lot together. When something is dug up in Medway, everybody feels it.

This is the Medway roadworks and travel picture as it stands today, and it covers two things. First, what is actually being worked on now, checked against the council’s, National Highways’ and Southeastern’s own pages between 31 October and 4 November 2026. Second, the standing facts that stay useful all year: the live map, the tunnel closure pattern and the key routes. Every date here comes from an official page, linked so you can check it before you set off.

The next two weeks at a glance (4 to 14 November 2026)

Where What When Source
North Dane Way, Lordswood No right turn from Shawstead Road into North Dane Way, and no left turn from Heron Way into Princes Avenue, while the roundabout on that stretch is removed and rebuilt. The order is made In force since Monday 26 October, to 10 April 2027 Medway Council order, 22 October
Cornwallis Avenue, Gillingham Closed from No. 143 to Cornwallis Roundabout for a new water supply connection. Diversion via Ito Way, Sovereign Boulevard, the A2 and Woodlands Road. The order is made Since Monday 12 October, programmed for 40 days, by 20 November Medway Council order, 8 October
Stake Lane, Jade Hill and Essex Road, Halling Raised-table construction and a junction improvement. The three roads close one at a time. The order is made Since Friday 16 October, to 30 November Medway Council order, 22 October
Heron Way and Swallow Rise, Chatham Bus stop and dropped-kerb works; footpaths, some bus stops and parking closed in stages Started in the week of Monday 26 October, then six to eight weeks Medway Council notice
Frindsbury Roundabout, Wulfere Way, Hasted Road and Berwick Way Night resurfacing in two phases. The order is made From Monday 2 November, 8pm to 6am, five nights planned, six allowed Medway Council order, 22 October
Wellington Road, Gillingham Closed for 30 metres from Canterbury Street for a new water connection. The order is made Monday 2 November, booked to finish today, 4 November Medway Council order, 22 October
Rainham: 11 streets New and longer double yellow lines, and a permit-only bay in Henry Street. The orders are made Come into operation Monday 2 November Medway Council notice, 29 October
A2 eastbound, Marling Cross (Gravesham) Entry and exit slips shut for survey works Nights of Monday 2 to Thursday 5 November, 8pm to 6am National Highways
Late trains from Victoria The 00:10 and 00:40 Victoria to Gillingham run non-stop to Rochester; buses from Swanley for the stations between Early hours of Tuesday 3, Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November Southeastern
Orange Terrace, Rochester Closed across Nos 1 to 5 for electricity cables; no alternative route Saturday 7 November, 1 day Medway Council orders, listed below
Medway Valley line No trains between Paddock Wood and Strood; Cuxton and Halling closed, buses only Sunday 8 November Southeastern
Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham centres Remembrance parades: roads closed in all four, Rochester 8am to 2pm, Chatham 8am to 1pm Sunday 8 November Medway Council, 30 October
High Street, Rochester, at the Corn Exchange Closed for water supply repairs; one-way rule suspended for access From Monday 9 November, up to 11 days Medway Council orders, listed below
Higham Road and Buckland Road Telegraph poles replaced; the two closures do not run at once Monday 9 November, by 10 November Medway Council orders, listed below
Last high speed train The 23:50 St Pancras to Faversham runs via Ashford; a bus runs from Ebbsfleet to Gillingham and Faversham, not calling at Higham Monday 9 to Thursday 12 November Southeastern

The one to know about this week is Frindsbury. From Monday 2 November the council resurfaces Hasted Road and Wulfere Way at night, then Frindsbury Roundabout itself and Berwick Way from Wednesday 4 November. It plans five nights, 8pm to 6am, and the order allows six. Details are below.

Then Sunday 8 November. Remembrance parades close roads in Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham, and there are no Medway Valley trains between Paddock Wood and Strood, so Cuxton and Halling are bus only (Medway Council; Southeastern).

Cornwallis Avenue in Gillingham is still shut, programmed to stay that way until 20 November. North Dane Way in Lordswood keeps its turn bans to 10 April 2027.

The new one to plan for is Lower Rainham Road. Medway Council confirmed on 4 November that SGN starts replacing the gas main on Monday 16 November, for about six weeks, after repeated gas escapes. It is a rolling closure between the entrance to Riverside Country Park and Lower Twydall Lane, with residents’ access kept from either side and people on foot and bikes still able to get through. Service 3C is diverted through the A289 and Beechings Way. SGN’s map signs drivers via Yokosuka Way, Beechings Way, Bloors Lane, the A2 and Station Road. The council’s 29 October notice gave an end date of Sunday 20 December, earlier than six weeks would suggest. Our story has the detail.

What has finished since our last update. Chatham Waterfront bus station reopened fully from 7am on Saturday 31 October, the council said on 30 October, after some of the resurfacing finished early. James Street, Gillingham, is now recorded as resurfaced on 27 October. Bill Street Road, Gillingham Road, Luton Road, Stoke Road, Canterbury Street, Hempstead Road and Grange Road were each booked to finish by 30 October; those are programmed dates, not confirmations. The National Highways slip nights of 27 October to 1 November, the late-train changes of 28 and 29 October, Sunday 1 November’s Dartford to Gillingham rail closure and the Ordnance Street gas closure, programmed to end on 1 November, are past.

What could not be confirmed. Kent County Council’s order for the A229 Blue Bell Hill southbound on-slip (up to two nights, 9pm to 5am, on or after 23 October) is made, but the county has published no nights. The A2 Rainham markings job, booked for about two nights from 22 October, still has no completion or return date (see below).

What is new. Medway Council published a new batch of orders on 29 October, in two notices, carrying the Lower Rainham Road gas main and five more closures from mid November, listed in the second table below. The same batch proposes a 30mph limit at the Hoath Way roundabout in Gillingham, in place of 50mph. National Highways’ report was reissued on 30 October and now runs to the night of Thursday 5 November. It also published an order on 29 October for full overnight closures of the M2 between Junctions 3 and 4 on 21 and 22 November (notice).

Rainham: the A2 markings nights are past their booked dates

The council’s local safety scheme notice booked its contractor, Marlborough Highways, from Thursday 22 October 2026 “for a period of approximately two nights”, 8pm to 5.30am, with the A2 closed between Mierscourt Road and High Dewar Road while crews work and a signed diversion. The dates “could be subject to change”, and the contractor “may need to return to site at a later date” if the weather turns. The council had still not posted a completion or a return date when we checked its schemes page on 2 November, where the notice remains listed.

The markings run from Mierscourt Road to Moor Park Close. The old centre line comes off and a central hatched area goes down, with right-turn lanes into:

  • High Dewar Road
  • Chapel Row
  • the Asda filling station
  • Axford Court

The council says the aim is safer waiting space for drivers turning right, with fewer delays along the A2 (25 September letter; plan).

The earlier junction scheme next door. The A2 High Street and Mierscourt Road junction improvement worked its four overnight closures on 9, 10, 11 and 14 September (Medway Council news, 19 August 2026; scheme update notice). The council has not declared that scheme finished, and it is still listed, undated, on its roadwork schemes page. Queries for both go to 01634 333333, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Eight batches of council closure orders, running into April 2027

Medway Council places its temporary traffic orders in the local paper each week, and they are copied to the Public Notice Portal. All are signed by Adam Bryan, the council’s Director of Place. There are now eight batches in force or pending: 10 September, 17 September, 24 September (two notices), 1 October (two notices), 8 October, 15 October, 22 October (two notices) and 29 October (two notices, first and second). The last six are filed as “Medway, Public Notices”, not as traffic notices, so search the portal for both.

Each order is either one the council has made, which is a decision, or one it intends to make, which means the work is programmed but the order is not yet in force. Treat the second kind as intentions. And each order’s length is a ceiling, not a promise: the council does not publish a finish date.

Most of these closures are utility jobs, not council road repairs: water, electricity, gas, overhead cable and telephone poles. Eight of the ten September closures were, and the October batches follow the same pattern. The exceptions are the council’s own schemes at North Dane Way and Frindsbury. That is why a road can be resurfaced one month and dug up the next.

Live now, or in the next fortnight

All of these are in the table at the top of the page. The ones to know about in detail:

  • Cornwallis Avenue, Gillingham: closed from No. 143 to Cornwallis Roundabout for a new water supply connection since Monday 12 October, “programmed for completion within 40 days, by 20 November 2026”. The diversion runs via Ito Way, Sovereign Boulevard, the A2 and Woodlands Road in both directions (8 October notice).
  • Halling: Stake Lane, Jade Hill and Essex Road are booked from 16 October through to 30 November for raised tables and a junction improvement. Only one of the three is shut at any moment, but that is six weeks of moving closures in one small grid of streets. Essex Road’s one-way rule is suspended while it is shut. The 22 October notice says the council has made the order, with a diversion via Kent Road.
  • Heron Way and Swallow Rise, Chatham: bus stop and dropped-kerb works began near Maundene School in the week of Monday 26 October, half term, and then take another six to eight weeks along Heron Way to Swallow Rise. Work runs Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm, with footpaths, some bus stops and parking closed in stages (Medway Council notice).

The rest of the orders, into November

Wellington Road is an order the council has made, under the 22 October batch. The rest are orders it intends to make, including all of the 29 October batch, from the 24 September, 1 October, 8 October, 15 October and 22 October batches:

Road Why From Expected length Diversion
Wellington Road, Gillingham, 30 metres from Canterbury Street New water connection Monday 2 November 3 days, by 4 November Seaview Road, Gillingham Road and Canterbury Street
Orange Terrace, Rochester, across Nos 1 to 5 Underground electricity service cables Saturday 7 November 1 day No alternative route
High Street, Rochester, outside the High Street entrance to the Corn Exchange Water supply repairs Monday 9 November 11 days Northgate and Corporation Street; the High Street one-way rule is suspended for access
Higham Road and Buckland Road (filed by the council under Rochester), 60 metres either side of their junction Two telegraph poles replaced and cabling rehung; the two closures do not run at once Monday 9 November 2 days, by 10 November Higham Road, Station Road, Rectory Road and Buckland Road
Lower Rainham Road, Gillingham, from Lower Twydall Lane to 150 metres east of No. 331 Replacing an 18-inch medium pressure gas main and upgrading connections. SGN says a rolling closure, about six weeks Monday 16 November to Sunday 20 December in the notice Yokosuka Way, Beechings Way, Bloors Lane, the A2 and Station Road, on SGN’s map
Green Lane, Cliffe, its whole length New fibre optic cable and duct Monday 16 November 3 days, by 18 November, 8am to 6pm Marsh Lane, Reed Street, Green Lane and Marsh Lane
Tanker Hill, Gillingham, across Nos 75 to 79 Trenching, a joint bay and new electricity services Monday 16 November 1 day No alternative route
Boxley Road, Chatham, from Robin Hood Lane to Dale Court Gas main replacement Monday 16 November 16 weeks Robin Hood Lane, Fostington Way and Walderslade Woods; Beechen Bank Road
Capstone Road, Lordswood, from No. 287 to Pear Tree Lane Tree cutting Wednesday 18 November 1 day Pear Tree Lane, Hempstead Road and Capstone Road
St Margarets Street, Rochester, between King Edward Road and Roebuck Road Defective manhole cover 5.30pm Thursday 19 November 1 night, to 5.30am King Edward Road, Maidstone Road and Roebuck Road
Lower Rainham Road, Gillingham, between Nos 788 and 794 New water connection Saturday 21 November to Sunday 22 November Lower Rainham Road, Station Road, High Street, Otterham Quay Lane and Lower Rainham Road
Creek Road, Upper Stoke: the level crossing Electricity supply connection Sunday 22 November 1 day No alternative route; emergency access kept
Pump Lane, Rainham, from Lower Rainham Road to the railway line Lifting service covers to inspect cable runs Sunday 22 November to Friday 27 November, nightly 9pm to 4am; residents’ access kept Southbound via Beechings Way, Bloors Lane, London Road, High Street and Station Road; northbound via Beechings Way, Yokosuka Way and Grange Roundabout
Cliffe Road, Strood, from Frindsbury Road to No. 29, and Martin Road at Cliffe Road Decommissioning 210 metres of large gas main Monday 23 November 21 days Frindsbury Road, Coddington Road, Wykeham Road, Brompton Road, All Road and Cliffe Road
Park Avenue, Gillingham, across No. 65 Underground electricity cables Tuesday 1 December 5 days, by 5 December Oxford Road, Napier Road, Nelson Road, Canterbury Street, Watling Street and Cleave Road

The long one is North Dane Way, Lordswood. The council’s 22 October notice sets out “major section 278 highway works”, including removal of the existing roundabout and traffic islands, new islands, resurfacing and road marking. Section 278 is the agreement used when a developer pays for changes to a public road. In three parts:

  • from 26 October 2026 to 10 April 2027: no right turn from Shawstead Road into North Dane Way; traffic carries on south to the mini-roundabout near Judkins Close and comes back
  • for the same period: no left turn from Heron Way into Princes Avenue; traffic goes north to Capstone Road and comes back
  • 7 to 10 April 2027: North Dane Way closed from about 50 metres south of Shawstead Road to about 100 metres north of Princes Avenue, with a long diversion via Capstone Road, Luton, Chatham Hill, the A229 and Walderslade Woods

The 15 October notice listed this as an order the council intended to make; the 22 October notice says it has made it. North Dane Way is one of the main routes to the Capstone tip; see our Medway tip opening times for the other two sites. Our story on the North Dane Way turn bans has the detail.

Walderslade has a long one from November. Boxley Road is booked shut from Robin Hood Lane to Dale Court for 16 weeks of gas main replacement from Monday 16 November, which runs it into March.

The Rochester one to note is the High Street. From Monday 9 November the council plans to shut it outside the Corn Exchange for up to 11 days of water supply repairs. That runs into the start of the Christmas season on the High Street, and the one-way rule is suspended so vehicles can still reach premises. Traffic is sent via Northgate and Corporation Street.

Strood has a three-week one from 23 November. Cliffe Road closes from Frindsbury Road to No. 29, with Martin Road shut at the junction, while 210 metres of old gas main is taken out of service.

Rainham and Gillingham have the longest new one, from 16 November. Lower Rainham Road closes from Lower Twydall Lane to 150 metres east of No. 331 until about 20 December, for an 18-inch gas main (29 October notice). SGN expects about six weeks and has published a diversion; the council’s notice said it “intends” to make the order. The same stretch then has a second, shorter water job further east, between Nos 788 and 794, on 21 and 22 November. Pump Lane, which joins it, shuts at night from 22 to 27 November.

A 30mph limit is proposed at the Hoath Way roundabout. The council proposes to replace the 50mph limit with 30mph on the roundabout where Hoath Way, Sharsted Way and Wigmore Road meet, Gillingham. It covers:

  • the roundabout itself, all sides
  • Hoath Way, from 70 metres north of the roundabout to 25 metres south
  • Sharsted Way, for 45 metres west of it
  • Wigmore Road, for 25 metres east of it

Objections or support go in writing to traffic.management@medway.gov.uk by Friday 20 November (29 October notice). The statement of reasons is not online; it can be seen at the Chatham Library and Community Hub reception or requested by email.

Rainham’s new yellow lines start on 2 November. The council made two waiting restriction orders on 27 October, for Bendon Way, Cheriton Road, Deanwood Drive, Hawbeck Road, Henry Street, Hoath Lane, Long Catlis Road, Queendown Avenue, Stratford Avenue, Swain Road and Wakeley Road. Most are short lengths of double yellow line at junctions and corners. In Henry Street the bay beside Nos 202 to 204 Station Road changes from 30 minutes’ limited waiting to permit holders only (W), Monday to Friday 8am to 10am. After 8 objections and 1 letter of support, the Deanwood Drive, Hawbeck Road and Swain Road lengths were cut back, and Wivenhoe Close was deferred (29 October notice).

The big one is at Frindsbury from 2 November. The council has now made the order, in its 22 October batch, for resurfacing, joint sealing and patching, 8pm to 6am, “within six nights”. It runs in two phases:

  • Phase 1, from Monday 2 November: Hasted Road and Wulfere Way closed, with lane closures on Four Elms Hill and Four Elms Roundabout
  • Phase 2, from Wednesday 4 November: Frindsbury Roundabout with all its approaches and exits, Frindsbury Road at the roundabout, Berwick Way and Wulfere Way closed, with lane closures on Hasted Road, Four Elms Hill and Four Elms Roundabout

The council’s resident letter, and its resurfacing page read again on 31 October, plan the job as five nights from Monday 2 November, so the letter’s five is the plan and the order’s six is the ceiling. The letter adds that in stage one Four Elms Hill and Hoo Road stay open for through traffic, and that in stage two the diversion is signed from the Gillingham side of the tunnel and Medway City Estate’s width restriction gate is opened for larger vehicles that miss the main diversion. The council’s diversion plan is published alongside. Queries go to highwayops@medway.gov.uk.

Event closures already booked to the end of November

The 17 September batch also carries a community events order, in force from 20 September to 29 November (Public Notice Portal). It fixes these dates now:

  • Sunday 8 November, Remembrance Sunday: closures in Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham from 7am to 3pm, and in Rainham from 10am to 1pm
  • Saturday 28 November, Hempstead Christmas Lights: 5pm to 9.30pm

The order’s 7am to 3pm is the legal window. The council’s Remembrance release of 30 October gives the hours the roads will actually be shut on Sunday 8 November:

  • Rochester, 8am to 2pm: Castle Hill from the Esplanade (residents’ access kept), Epaul Lane, the High Street between the Guildhall Museum and Eastgate Court, and the ends of Eastgate Terrace, Crow Lane, Blue Boar Lane, La Providence, Northgate and Boley Hill
  • Chatham, 8am to 1pm: Richard Street, Rhode Street, James Street, Clover Street, the High Street to Best Street, Waterfront Way, The Paddock, Best Street, Railway Street, Ordnance Terrace, Albany Terrace and Fort Pitt Hill
  • Gillingham: Mill Road from Brompton Road to Medway Park car park, 9am to about 11am; the High Street from Brompton Road to Skinner Street and Canterbury Street, with Marlborough Road, Arden Street, Fox Street and Britton Street, 10.30am to about 10.45am
  • Rainham, 10.30am to 11.30am: the A2 High Street from Orchard Street to Ivy Street, including the Station Road junction

Rhode Street car park is shut 6.30am to 12.30pm and Boley Hill and Kings Head car parks 6am to 2pm. Several council car parks are free from 7am to 3pm; our Remembrance Sunday page has the list and the parade times.

Each order is valid for a maximum of 18 months or until the work is finished, whichever comes first, and the restrictions apply only while the signs are displayed. Medway Council’s traffic management team takes queries on 01634 331165 or at traffic.management@medway.gov.uk.

Trains: Remembrance Sunday and the late-night changes

Late trains from Victoria, 3 to 6 November: in the early hours of Tuesday 3, Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November, the 00:10 and 00:40 Victoria to Gillingham leave at 00:12 and 00:42 and run non-stop to Rochester. For stations between Bromley South and Meopham or Sole Street, take the 00:10 or 00:40 to Swanley and the replacement bus, which calls at all stations to Gillingham except Sole Street (Southeastern).

Sunday 8 November, Remembrance Sunday: no trains between Paddock Wood and Strood. Cuxton and Halling are closed all day, with buses between Strood and Maidstone West. The same day, Victoria to Ramsgate trains via Chatham run only as far as Faversham (Southeastern). Southeastern lists nothing for Medway on Saturday 31 October or Saturday 7 November, read on 31 October. On Sunday 15 November, trains via Chatham run only as far as Sittingbourne, and Victoria to Dover trains via Denmark Hill only to Gillingham (Southeastern).

Monday 9 to Friday 13 November: on the Monday to Thursday nights the 23:50 St Pancras to Faversham is diverted via Ashford, with a bus from Ebbsfleet International to Gillingham and Faversham that does not call at Higham. From Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 November the 04:17 Gillingham to Tonbridge starts from Strood at 04:30, with a bus leaving Gillingham at 03:55 for all stations to Strood (Southeastern).

Our Medway trains to London page has the normal times, fares and the high speed option.

The M2 and the motorway network: slip nights to 5 November

National Highways’ 7-day closure report, reissued and read on 31 October, covers Friday 30 October to Thursday 5 November 2026. We read every daily sheet. Around Medway, from 31 October, it lists:

Night Closure Hours Scheme, in National Highways’ words
Monday 2 to Thursday 5 November A2 eastbound Marling Cross entry and exit slips 8pm to 6am A2 both directions Wrotham to M2 Jct 2, slip road and lane closure for survey works
Tuesday 3 to Thursday 5 November M2 westbound Junction 5 entry and exit slips (Stockbury) 8pm to 6am M2 both directions Junction 4 to Junction 6, A249 northbound Stockbury to Key Street, carriageway slip road and lane closure for drainage works

Junction 2 is the A228 junction for Strood and Cuxton, and Junction 5 is the A249 junction for Sittingbourne and Sheppey. Marling Cross is an A2 junction in Gravesham. The report lists nothing on the A289 through the tunnel, nothing at Junctions 3 or 4, and nothing for Saturday 31 October.

The big motorway one is later in November. National Highways intends to close both carriageways of the M2 between Junction 3 (Blue Bell Hill) and Junction 4 (the A278 for Gillingham) overnight, with every slip road on that stretch. The works are expected between Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 8pm to 5am, for UK Power Networks’ contractors to replace high voltage cables. Traffic is diverted via the A229, the M20 and the A249 at Junction 5, in either direction. The notice says the dates could be rescheduled (National Highways notice, ref NH/SE/2026/M2/93).

A Kent County Council order sits on Medway’s southern edge. The A229 Blue Bell Hill southbound on-slip is to close on or after 23 October for up to two nights, 9pm to 5am, for road markings, along with 175 metres of lane 1 after the slip joins. The diversion runs via the Lord Lees roundabout and the Tiger Moth roundabout. The 1 October notice said the county intended to make the order; its 15 October notice says it has made it. Neither gives the nights, so we cannot tell you whether it has already run.

The report looks only seven days ahead, so nothing after the night of Thursday 5 November is published yet.

Where to check live roadworks

Medway Council publishes its live works through one.network, the national roadworks map. The quickest route in is the council’s own roadworks in Medway page, which embeds the map. Registering free on one.network shows the full description of each job. Day-to-day incidents and emergency closures are posted by the council’s highways team on X at @MedwayHighways.

Worth knowing: most holes in Medway’s roads are not the council’s. Utility companies dig under permits issued through the New Roads and Street Works Act, which is why a road can be resurfaced one month and opened up again the next, and why most of the closures in the council’s weekly orders are water, gas, electricity or cable jobs.

Resurfacing: James Street done, Frindsbury next

The council’s resurfacing page was checked again on 31 October. Its upcoming list now carries one dated job, the Frindsbury night works from 2 November for five nights. James Street, Gillingham, the whole road in Gillingham South, has moved to the completed table, finished on 27 October, 277 metres. Before that, the completed table for 2026 to 2027 ended in August:

Road Ward Section Completed Length
Ratcliffe Highway All Saints Between The Fenn Bell Project and St Marys Cottages 12 August 2026 680m
Maidstone Road Fort Pitt and Fort Horsted Between The Ridgeway and Horsted Gyratory 13 August 2026 327m
City Way Rochester East and Warren Wood, Fort Pitt From the junction with The Fort to St John Fisher Catholic primary school 13 August 2026 164m
Station Road Strood Rural Whole road 14 August 2026 450m
James Street Gillingham South Whole road 27 October 2026 277m

That is 1,621 metres of carriageway across the four August schemes, on top of the six schemes finished in May and June. Ratcliffe Highway, at 680 metres, is the longest single stretch the council has recorded as resurfaced this financial year. A separate table of smaller schemes run by the council’s highways inspectorate still records York Avenue in Gillingham South, the whole road, 390 metres, completed on 15 August 2026 as the most recent entry anywhere on the page.

Two things worth knowing from the page:

  • Richmond Road, Gillingham has come off the current list without appearing in the completed one. It was closed for patching on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August, working 7am to 7pm (resident letter, diversion plan). The scheme notice has been taken down, which usually means it is done, but the council has not recorded it as complete and we cannot confirm it.
  • James Street, Gillingham lost its 30 May 2026 date to emergency utility works. It was rebooked for Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October (resident letter) and the council records it as completed on the 27th.

One entry on the page’s table of additional potential resurfacing schemes now carries a date: Cuxton Road, Strood West, outside 5 to 12 Temple Gardens and Nos 104 to 116, 120 to 126 and 154 to 160, 753 metres, dated 2 September 2026. It sits in the potential list rather than the completed one, and the council does not say whether the work has been done.

The roadwork schemes page itself, read on 31 October, still lists seven entries: the three newest notices for Rainham’s local safety scheme, Chatham Waterfront bus station and Heron Way, the 25 September A2 Rainham letter and plan, the two earlier A2 Mierscourt Road junction notices and the Blue Boar Lane pedestrian and cycle works in Rochester.

Rochester: Corporation Street at Gas House Road

At the A2 Corporation Street junction with Gas House Road, the council’s term contractor Volker Highways has been laying ducts and signal pole sockets for a new pedestrian crossing phase. The notice says the work started on 3 August 2026 for about two weeks, Monday to Friday, 8am to 11pm, under temporary lights and a lane closure on Corporation Street (scheme notice). That programmed window has long passed and the notice has not been updated. The new signal poles go in separately later, so expect a second short visit to the same junction.

The Medway Tunnel: how the closures work

The Medway Tunnel carries the A289 under the river between Strood and Chatham, and it is the council’s to run. It opened in 1996, the first immersed-tube road tunnel built in England.

The maintenance pattern is regular enough to plan around. The tunnel closes for three nights roughly every three months, usually early in March, June, September and December, with restrictions from 8pm to 6am. Dates can shift. They are signed in advance on the approach roads and on motorway variable message signs.

September went by with no closure dates published. The council’s “view upcoming closures” button points at the live roadworks map rather than a dated list, and the tunnel page still carried no dates when we checked it on 31 October. Whether the September nights ran unannounced or were moved, the council has not said. On the usual pattern the next set falls in early December. If you cross the tunnel late at night, watch the signs on the A289 approach. When it is shut overnight, cross-river traffic falls back on Rochester Bridge or the M2.

The council put a figure on its funding application on 25 August 2026: it is asking the Department for Transport’s Structures Fund for £9.25 million, and adding £1 million of its own, to renew the tunnel’s 1996 electrical, ventilation, pumping and life-safety systems (Medway Council). The council’s own tunnel page confirms the application “is currently under consideration, and a funding decision has not been made”. We covered the bid, and what happens if it fails, in Medway Tunnel: £10.5m bid to replace its 1996 systems.

The key routes, and what feeds what

Schematic diagram of Medway's key roads: the A2 running through Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham, the M2 to the south, the A228 to Hoo and the Isle of Grain, the A289 through the Medway Tunnel, the A229 to Maidstone and the A278 link to the M2
How Medway's main roads fit together. Diagram by Medway Live; schematic, not to scale.
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  • The A2 is the spine, the old London Road running through Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. When it clogs, the towns clog.
  • The M2 runs south of the towns and takes the through traffic. Its Junction 5 upgrade at Stockbury, including the flyover carrying the A249 over the roundabout, was completed in February 2025.
  • The A228 is the Hoo Peninsula’s one real road, from Strood out through Chattenden and Hoo St Werburgh to the Isle of Grain, and south to Cuxton for the M20.
  • The A229 climbs Blue Bell Hill from Star Hill in Rochester to Maidstone and the M20, the main link south.
  • The A278 is the three-mile dual carriageway tying Gillingham and Hempstead Valley to the M2 at Junction 4.
  • The A289 links Strood to Gillingham through the Medway Tunnel, the northern bypass of the whole conurbation.

Further ahead, the Lower Thames Crossing, the new tunnel under the Thames connecting Kent and Essex, will join the A2 and M2 corridor west of Medway. It is the biggest change coming to the area’s road network.

No park and ride, so here is the honest alternative

Medway has no park and ride. The council’s travel pages list none, and the former Rochester park and ride site was disposed of years ago. If you are heading into a town centre, the realistic options are the council’s car parks, covered street by street in our parking in Medway guide, or the bus.

Buses are run by several operators, with Arriva’s Kent and Medway network the biggest, alongside Chalkwell, Nu-Venture, ASD and others. Routes and live departure information are linked from the council’s bus services page, and most town routes pass through Chatham Waterfront bus station. The national £3 single fare cap applies on most services.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see current roadworks in Medway? On the council’s roadworks in Medway page, which embeds the live one.network map, or at one.network directly. Emergency closures are posted on X by @MedwayHighways.

What is the big Medway roadworks job this week? Frindsbury: from Monday 2 November, Hasted Road and Wulfere Way close at night, then Frindsbury Roundabout, Berwick Way and Wulfere Way from Wednesday 4 November, 8pm to 6am, for resurfacing (Medway Council order, 22 October). The North Dane Way turn bans in Lordswood run to 10 April 2027. Chatham Waterfront bus station reopened fully on 31 October.

Which Medway roads are closed right now, or closing next? Cornwallis Avenue in Gillingham is shut from No. 143 to Cornwallis Roundabout until about 20 November. The Halling trio of Stake Lane, Jade Hill and Essex Road close in turn to 30 November. Wellington Road closes from 2 November, Orange Terrace on 7 November, and Rochester High Street at the Corn Exchange from 9 November. From 16 November SGN runs a rolling closure of Lower Rainham Road, from Lower Twydall Lane to the Riverside Country Park entrance, for about six weeks for a gas main, and Boxley Road in Walderslade for 16 weeks. All are in the council orders and notices linked above.

Is the M2 closed in Medway this week? Only at night, and only slip roads. National Highways shuts the A2 eastbound Marling Cross slips on the nights of 2 to 5 November, and the M2 westbound Junction 5 slips on the nights of 3 to 5 November, all 8pm to 6am (National Highways). Later, it intends to close both carriageways between Junctions 3 and 4 overnight on 21 and 22 November (notice).

When does the Medway Tunnel close? For planned maintenance, usually three nights every three months, early in March, June, September and December, 8pm to 6am. Dates are signed in advance on the approach roads and on motorway variable message signs. The council does not publish a dated list online, and no September nights were ever posted on its tunnel page. The next set is due, on the usual pattern, in early December.

Are the trains to London affected? In the early hours of 3, 5 and 6 November the last two Victoria to Gillingham trains run non-stop to Rochester. On Sunday 8 November there are no Medway Valley trains between Paddock Wood and Strood.

Is there a park and ride in Medway? No. The council’s travel pages list no park and ride service. Use the town car parks (see parking in Medway) or the bus network.

Sources

Planning a trip into the towns? Start with where to park, and if you are leaving the car at home, the trains to London. More Medway information is on the Medway Live home page.

Works dates are the published schedules as of 31 October 2026 and can move; check the live map before you travel. Last updated 4 November 2026.