MASSIVE traffic jams built up on a major Huddersfield road ... because temporary traffic lights were set too far apart.
The trouble built up on Leeds Road in Deighton after the lights were set up outside the former Holliday Dyes and Chemicals site which is being transformed into a business park.
Tailbacks stretched almost to Huddersfield town centre and disruption in the opposite direction went as far as Roberttown, three miles away.
The traffic lights have been adjusted, but will be there until a week after Easter.
Kirklees Council group engineer Tom Ghee said Leeds Road was reduced to just one lane to protect workers building a footpath next to the new development as part of the business park scheme.
The work is being carried out by contractors working for the developer - but when highways officials investigated why the disruption was so great they discovered the traffic lights were too far apart.
Mr Ghee said: "The lights should not be more than 100 metres apart, but they were longer than that."
This meant more time had to be allowed for vehicles to clear the lights and the wasted time had a knock-on effect.
Mr Ghee added: "The lights were reset and moved to within 100 metres of each other.
"Once that had been done we expected a big improvement."
The lights can only operate before 7.30am and between 9.30am and 4pm. They can be put in place again after 6pm and at weekends, but must be shifted two hours before matches at the McAlpine Stadium.
The developer will be widening the road for a new traffic lights junction to the business park and building new footpaths on both sides of the road.
Caught in the queues was Mirfield councillor Martyn Bolt. He said: "The jams were terrible and it took me 40 minutes to get through.
"With roadworks as major as this, it would be better to put warning signs in advance.
"Buses will be delayed and businesses will suffer as a result of these traffic delays."
