Chaotic Bury road works are said to be causing a ‘rat run’ of cars as the four-way traffic light system adds over 20 minutes to journey times.
Residents and motorists have shared frustration over major gas works taking place on Brandlesholme Road.
The works, which are expected to last up until December, have been criticised for causing huge queues of traffic, debris on the road and a "rat run" of cars cutting through the estates.
Having received a number of complaints, Elton ward councillor, Jack Rydeheard, said: “Myself and Andrew Luxton had received quite a lot of complaints from residents in and around Brandlesholme but mostly from the estates on either side of the main road.
“They said it was impossible to get out, especially in the mornings with the four-way traffic lights set up.
“This was always going to be a bit of a pain but there was debris all over the site, one particular part also had a raised ramp that you could only get across in first gear which slowed everything down even when the lights were on green.
“It pushes people onto the estates to try and get around it which is understandable but it then creates a rat run on the estates.”
The traffic is obvious as cars queue no matter what time or day, however, rush hour has become another problem entirely.
Alan Marshall travels from Holcombe Brooke to Bury in the mornings for work and said that getting through the road works almost doubles his journey time.
He said: “Instead of driving I have been biking.
“It took me around half an hour or so to get from Holcombe Brooke to Bury Town Centre by car and less than 15 minutes by bike.
“I do enjoy biking and I’m not one of those cyclists that cut the red lights but with all the road works going on in Brandlesholme, biking avoids the stop-start and is so much faster.”
The four-way traffic lights are said to have caused further ‘carnage’ this week as one resident couldn’t drive out of her street to the main road.
She said: “It’s a nightmare and it adds about 20 minutes extra to my journey.
“The traffic lights went out on Monday evening, so it was carnage.
"We had to get out of the street quickly and onto the main road, going around the cars waiting at the lights and hoping no one set off.
“Even when they are working, you’re sat there for so long waiting for them to change and when they do, only a few cars get through at a time.”
After receiving so many complaints, Cllr Rydeheard said: “There were a number of issues I have had to raise and the council sent the site inspector out who has asked them to clean the site up.
“The works are expected for 14 weeks and finish in December, but they have said the raised ramp is being removed and it will become a two-way system."
The work is expected to continue until December, and for those not wanting to take up their bikes to skip the queues, it is hoped that the two-way system and removal of the ramp and debris will speed up the long waits.
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