Certain dates of the planned repairs to Kingsferry Bridge this summer have been rescheduled to avoid a clash with school exams taking place in mid-June and a bike ride involving thousands of cyclists that is set to cross the bridge on Saturday 22 June.

There were concerns that the increased congestion on the alternative Sheppey Crossing and surrounding road network when Kingsferry Bridge is closed could result in significantly longer journeys for secondary school students making their way to exams at that time of year. 

Additionally, thousands of cyclists and support staff are due to come onto the island on Friday 21 June and cross Kingsferry Bridge on the morning of Saturday 22 June. While we could have found a way to get cyclists and support staff across the bridge, thousands of people and cyclists with their bikes trying to use replacement buses to get to the island on Friday 21 June could lead to serious capacity and safety challenges on buses. 

Rescheduling the work that was due to take place from 16 to 22 June to late July means that students can get to their exams without the disruption that may occur while the Kingsferry Bridge is closed. We can also ensure the bike ride can go ahead and participants and support staff can get to and from the island safely via rail. With this in mind, the dates and times that the bridge will be closed are as follows.

• 22:00 on Friday 7 June to 05:00 on Monday 10 June
• 22:00 on Friday 28 June to 05:00 on Sunday 7 July
• 22:00 on Friday 12 to 05:00 on Monday 15 July
• 22:00 on Friday 19 to 05:00 on Sunday 28 July

When Kingsferry Bridge is closed, motorists are advised to use Sheppey Crossing but to leave more time to travel as congestion due to existing roadworks means journeys will take longer.

People are reminded that pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles/mopeds under 50cc, and horses/animals are not allowed to use Sheppey Crossing. We will publish details of alternative arrangements for transporting pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycles/mopeds under 50cc in the coming weeks.

Trains will not run between Sittingbourne and Sheerness when work is being carried out. During the closures, a regular rail replacement bus service will be running between Sheerness, Queenborough and Kemsley stations. We will continue to work closely with Southeastern, National Highways, Kent County Council and the emergency services to manage the impact on local people and services. 

We will also run a major awareness campaign to ensure people are aware of the closures, the changes to the journeys and the alternative options available to them.