The A290 at Pean Hill is closed between Fox's Cross Road and Pye Alley Lane for an emergency gas repair. SGN cannot yet say when it will reopen.

The A290 at Pean Hill, the main road between Canterbury and Whitstable, is closed for an emergency gas repair. SGN, the gas network operator, says it cannot yet say when it will reopen.

The closure runs between the junctions with Fox’s Cross Road and Pye Alley Lane. SGN posted the notice on 24 September, and it was still up unchanged on Friday morning, 25 September.

Updated 29 September: SGN’s update of 28 September says the road is still closed and the work “is taking longer than expected” because of “the complexity of the repair”. There is still no reopening time.

What SGN has said

SGN’s roadworks in your area page says it is carrying out emergency repairs after a gas leak in the A290 at Pean Hill. In its own words:

  • the road is closed “to keep local people safe” while engineers work
  • a diversion route “will be clearly signposted”
  • “This is a complex job”, and engineers are “not yet able to say how long our work will take”

Its 28 September update adds: “Due to the complexity of the repair, our work is taking longer than expected… we’re not yet able to say how long our work will take.”

SGN has not published the diversion route itself. It has not given a reopening date or time. We will update this page when it does.

A second SGN job on the A2

The same SGN page carries a separate emergency repair on the A2. Its update dated Friday 18 September says the eastbound carriageway between junction 7 of the M2 and the A2050 at Harbledown is down to one lane. The westbound carriageway is not affected. SGN warns of delays for drivers heading towards Canterbury.

That job was still listed on Friday 25 September, a week after the update. So the two main roads into Canterbury from the west and the north are both affected by gas repairs this week.

Buses on Pean Hill

The bus-data site bustimes.org lists eight stops at Pean Hill, at Pye Alley, Court Lees, Greycot and Red Lion House. They are served by:

  • Stagecoach routes 400 and 401 between Canterbury bus station and Whitstable
  • school services 903, 904, 905, 906 and 913

Stagecoach’s South East service updates page listed no update for the closure when we checked on Friday morning. We could not confirm which stops are inside the closed stretch or how the buses are being diverted.

What it means for you

  • Driving between Canterbury and Whitstable: expect to follow SGN’s signed diversion around Pean Hill. The Thanet Way (A299) and the A291 through Sturry and Herne are the other main routes to the coast.
  • Coming in on the A2 from London: allow extra time on the eastbound approach to Harbledown while the lane closure stays in place.
  • Catching the 400, 401 or a school bus from a Pean Hill stop: check with Stagecoach before you travel, as the stop may not be served while the road is shut.
  • If you smell gas: call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999, as SGN’s incidents page advises.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pean Hill closed today?

It was on Friday 25 September. SGN’s notice, dated 24 September, still showed the A290 closed between Fox’s Cross Road and Pye Alley Lane. We will update this page when SGN reports the road open.

When will Pean Hill reopen?

SGN has not said. Its notice calls the repair “a complex job” and says engineers are “not yet able to say how long our work will take”.

What is the diversion?

SGN says a diversion “will be clearly signposted” but has not published the route. Follow the signs on the approach to the closure.

Is the A2 into Canterbury closed?

No. The eastbound carriageway between M2 junction 7 and the A2050 at Harbledown is down to one lane for a separate SGN repair, listed since 18 September. Westbound is unaffected.

Every live closure we can confirm is on our Canterbury roadworks and travel page, which also has the A2 slip road closures at Harbledown this week.

Sources