Photo: Ray Duff
Hawkinge Gazette Contributor, Ray Duff has reported a collapsed underground sewer is understood to have forced the emergency closure of a vital route in Folkestone town centre, sparking fears of widespread disruption for local businesses during peak summer trading.
Emergency repairs are underway along Tontine Street, where the damaged pipe gave way yesterday afternoon. The street is expected to remain closed until 5 August, severely restricting vehicle access throughout the area. Light traffic and small vans are permitted to enter but face difficult turns at Payers Park or narrow squeezes through Mill Bay.
The closure has triggered extensive diversions across the local public transport network. Services between the harbour and Romney Marsh are terminating and starting early at Middelburg Square, while routes connecting to Dover face diversions via Skew Arches and Dover Road, alongside ongoing delays from nearby gas works. Weekday suburban services are also experiencing altered return routes.
It’s understood local enterprise owners fear the timing could not be worse, as the closure threatens to impact upcoming community gatherings and weekend festivities. Major events expected to face travel disruption include Saturday’s Pride parade starting from the bottom of the Old High Street and Sunday’s annual Wuthering Heights celebration at the Harbour Arm.
Repair teams remain on site to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Details of bus timetables https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-23/07/2026-12:21:22:964