MORE angry traders have complained about the roadworks in Milnsbridge.

And this time, they are not even in the village.

Traders in Paddock are the latest to complain about a diversion set up to avoid the bridge on Market Street, Milnsbridge – which is undergoing strengthening.

Shops just over a mile away on Market Street, Paddock, claim that the heavy traffic is killing their daily trade.

Hundreds of vehicles are being diverted from Milnsbridge through Paddock and Longroyd Bridge.

Michele Oliver and Paula Reilly, of Tastebuds sandwich shop, both said that the morning traffic is lasting over an hour, which is drastically hurting their breakfast trade.

Michele said: “Honestly it is just awful, there is absolutely nowhere for anyone to park.

“The traffic is horrendous and people are starting to get annoyed with one another while waiting in the queues, especially on that first Monday.

“Our busiest time is probably early morning but with huge queues, nobody wants to risk getting out of their car and having to get back in the tailbacks.

“Business has been really affected.”

Paula drives to the sandwich shop each day. She added: “Now people know about the diversion and the traffic, they will start avoiding the spot all together.

“That is equally as damaging to business.It is painful sitting in that traffic, I do it every day and it really is dreadful.”

Charlotte Lucks is a junior stylist at Halo, a hair and beauty salon based on Market Street.

She said: “This traffic diversion is causing huge problems as a business.

“Customers are getting stuck in the long queues and arriving late. It is really not their fault but those who are not late are getting messed around as we try and fit other people in, and often leave.

“It is really affecting our business and we need to the council to do something about it.

“We don’t understand how it is so badly affecting Paddock considering the diversion is in Milnsbridge, but it is.”

Another business along Market Street confirmed that around 9am and 5pm were the worst times with traffic regularly at a complete standstill.

In the late 1970s, a scheme was proposed to build a new road crossing the Colne Valley, which would have provided an alternative route to the Milnsbridge bridge.

When the scheme was examined and the costs estimated, which in today’s terms cost would have been around £100million, the scheme was turned down.

A council spokesman said: “It would have required the acquisition of a large amount of property, including commercial premises, and it was also felt that a new route could attract further traffic and not actually ease congestion at all. “Building a new route was not feasible on financial, commercial or community grounds.”

It is believed the plans were made after Larchfield Textiles was torn down and before the Kwik Save, which is now the Co-op, were built in 1982.

The bridge strengthening work started last week and is set to continue for a further 13 weeks.

A HAULAGE company boss has told his drivers: “Don’t come in to work”.

Colin Porter has taken the drastic action to avoid the roadworks chaos that has hit Milnsbridge, where his firm is based.

Mr Porter, a partner in Linda’s Transport, is instead urging his drivers to park up on roads across Huddersfield as they are wasting massive amounts of time trying to get to and from the depot.

He is the latest to bemoan the bridge repair works which are taking place in the centre of Milnsbridge.

Kirklees Council started on the 14-week scheme last week and it has brought huge hold-ups.

They have brought in one-way traffic across the bridge in Market Street and drivers heading out of Milnsbridge face a three-mile detour around Paddock and Longroyd Bridge.

But those areas, too, are being hit by long traffic queues.

Mr Porter is based in Scar Lane, just a few hundred yards from the roadworks, and said: “It’s a nightmare.

“It is having a massive impact on our business, which involves transporting textiles from the mills of the Colne and Holme valleys.

“We charge customers by the hour yet we are wasting hours stuck in queues trying to get in and out of Milnsbridge. It has got to the stage where I am telling drivers to do a job and then park up outside the area until I get in touch.

“We even had one contract driver who was stuck in queues for so long that he ran out of driver time and had to spend a night in Milnsbridge rather than going home to Wales.

“I have spoken at length to Kirklees highways officers but they don’t seem to listen. They claim they sent 400 flyers out to businesses about the roadworks but I cannot find anyone who has seen one.

“All we need is for them to be flexible, and to look at different ways of controlling the traffic.”

KIRKLEES Council have ruled out traffic lights during the MIlnsbridge roadworks as they would cause long queues.

A spokesman: “The works were always going to have an impact but we considered a number of options for the traffic management scheme.

“We did look carefully at placing traffic signals across the bridge, but it soon became clear that this would only cause longer queues.

“Although the current system includes an extended diversion, it provides the best opportunity to keep traffic moving.

“Enforcement officers and the council’s CCTV vehicle are visiting the area to deal with parking issues that may cause a problem.

“We are also working with the police because, unfortunately, a minority of drivers are still ignoring the one-way system and causing further disruption for all concerned.”