A motorbike rider was involved in what he says was "a near miss by oncoming traffic" due to roadworks in and around Keston which he says need to be better organised by Bromley Council.

Mark Davis, who often travels to his archery club on Jail Lane, has voiced serious safety concerns due to the roadworks which have been on and off for the last few weeks.

Mark says that prolonged wait times at traffic lights have led to some motorists to jumping red lights out of frustration, resulting in near-crashes.

He claims he narrowly avoided a head-on crash with three southbound vehicles while on his motorbike when the traffic light was green for northbound traffic.

Mark told the News Shopper: “I'm really worried that somebody's going to get hurt.

“I'm an advanced driver. I hold an advanced driving qualification. On the motorbike, I saw these people coming, and I was able to stop but some people might not be able to see them coming through.”

Workers at the site reportedly told Mark that these incidents were common and that the amount of congestion and long journey times because of the works meant that people would try and push through.

Mark added: “They're surprised it hasn't been an accident yet.

"People are getting so tired of waiting that they don't. They ignore the amber and they don't necessarily stop on the red, so when it turns green for the next people, they're driving straight towards them, which is very dangerous.

"There is going to be an accident.

“They said 'we've got the guys down adjusting the lights, but they're still doing it.' So it's not the gas workers' fault. It's obviously down to the drivers."

Cllr Nicholas Bennett, Executive Councillor for Transport, Highways and Road Safety said: “There have been traffic delays whilst the works have been in place but SGN have been manually operating the signals during peak times to try to improve the delays for motorists.”

Mark highlighted that he had once experienced a journey from Keston to Down take an hour, which is 45 minutes longer than normal due to time spent navigating through the roadworks.

This inconvenience has also forced him to alter his commuting route, opting for a different train station from Orpington to Croydon.

Roads such as Cudham Lane, Grays Lane, Jail Lane, Shire Lane and Main Road Knockholt have frequently been shut down or blocked without notice according to Mark, causing significant detours and delays for residents and commuters alike.

A council spokesperson explained that most works in Biggin Hill, Keston, and Downe are emergency repairs, which cannot be pre-announced to residents but are communicated to local councillors and residents’ associations.

SGN is conducting essential gas main replacements along Westerham Road, extending into Downe, which started on June 3 and will last about 28 weeks to address recurring gas leaks.

Emergency water works have caused temporary closures on Westerham Road and Jail Lane as well as Cudham Lane North which was closed recently for urgent fire hydrant repairs by Thames Water.

The council added that emergency works, due to their urgent nature, cannot be scheduled around planned works.

Mark emphasised the urgent need for better planning to avoid shutting down critical roads simultaneously.

Mark said: "What Bromley Council needs to do is keep a far closer eye on what is actually happening.

“But what's happening is they're giving companies like Openreach 18 months' worth of permission to do work whenever they like.

“They just close the road whenever they want without warning anyone, and that's not fair to anybody."

He says that emergency waterworks have also been particularly disruptive, often leading to unforeseen road closures that further exacerbate traffic congestion.

Mark has called upon Bromley Council to implement stricter monitoring of roadworks, better coordinate closures, and ensure that utility companies provide clear timelines for their construction activities.

Cllr Nicholas Bennett, Executive Councillor for Transport, Highways and Road Safety said: “In the event of planned works then we will ask the utility company for advanced warning signs to be placed out on site and we again share this with local councillors and residents’ associations.

“We will always endeavour to plan the utility company’s works to have as little impact as possible on residents and motorists alike.

“A majority of works that take place within the Biggin Hill, Keston and Downe area are emergency works which means we are unable to alert residents but we do share this information with local councillors and residents’ associations so that this can be shared via social media.

“SGN are carrying out essential gas replacement works along Westerham Road and will eventually be entering into the Downe area.

“The project started on Monday, June 3 and will be lasting for approximately 28 weeks.

“There has been an issue with gas leaks along this section of Westerham Road and it’s good that SGN are being active with replacing this gas main to avoid the need to keep coming back in an emergency.

“There have been traffic delays whilst the works have been in place but SGN have been manually operating the signals during peak times to try to improve the delays for motorists.

“Unfortunately, whilst these signals have been in place there have been emergency water works at Westerham Road resulting in a closure but this was dealt with promptly and the road was open within a couple of days.

“There has also been emergency water works at Jail Lane under temporary traffic signals which are due to be completed by the end of this week and yesterday Cudham Lane North was closed for whilst Thames Water make urgent repairs to repair a fire hydrant.

“Emergency works are unforeseen and cannot be coordinated around planned works because of their urgency of needing to be repaired.

“Fortunately, any emergency works that have arisen have been prioritised with repair and reinstatement to be removed from the highway as soon as possible.

“Because the infrastructure in the area was installed many years ago the utility network is prone to leaks which is why the gas replacement works along the A233 will have a positive impact and will help mitigate future gas escapes along this affected stretch of road”.