DRIVERS gridlocked for up to half an hour a day are enduring Traffic misery at a town’s ‘gateway’.

The junction of Henry Street, Church, and Blackburn Road, Accrington, has seen traffic at a standstill during rush hour due to road works. The result has seen drivers sit in gridlocked traffic for up to half an hour going in to, or out of Accrington and Church.

The work by Gas Alliance on the ‘Hyndburn Gateway’ is said to have been delayed, while temporary traffic lights further down Blackburn Road, due to an unsafe building, have also had an effect.

Residents and councillors have demanded answers after work appeared to stop for two weeks, yet temporary lights remained.

The Gas Alliance said workmen were working in other areas to connect the lines and conduct testing after completing work on the main carriageway.

Temporary traffic lights are expected to be removed the first week of October.

Hyndburn opposition leader Peter Britcliffe said: “It’s easier to break out of prison than to get into Accrington at the moment.

“Traffic has been brought to a standstill and motorists are using smaller streets as rat runs. Residents are understandably angry.

“I don’t understand why this couldn’t have been staggered until the Blackburn Road works were completed further down by the unsafe building.”

Ward councillor Tony Dobson said: “People are pretty upset because the boards claim the work should have been done by now. Added to that there hasn’t been any sign of a workman for weeks at the site, which infuriates people. It’s having a huge impact and it’s been badly managed.”

A spokeswoman for National Grid, for the Gas Alliance, said: “Engineers are testing the work now it has been completed.

“Rather than remove the lights and possibly have to reinstall them, we have left them. The lights should be removed by the first week of October.”