THOUSANDS of motorists were left fuming yesterday in huge queues of traffic as contractors worked on resurfacing the carriageway at Bradley Bar.
And a business says the scheme has cost it thousands of pounds in lost sales.
Although there have been hold-ups for the past fortnight, yesterday was the worst because a four-way traffic control was introduced so contractors could repaint the white lines around the large roundabout – a painstaking and meticulous process.
Traffic stretched for hundreds of yards in all four directions – from Fartown, Ainley Top, Brighouse and towards Leeds.
Yvonne Kershaw, manager of Bradley Villa Farm, said she has been left counting the cost of the roadworks.
She said: “It’s been horrendous for the past fortnight and today has been the worst since it all started.
“There’s just nothing going on in our yard. A couple of wholesalers who come every week said it had taken them a long time to get in.
“We have lost thousands of pounds over the last fortnight and we have no recompense.”
One motorist, who didn’t want to be named, said: “It took me 50 minutes to get from Asda to Bradley Business Park – a distance of just half a mile or so.
“There were no warning signs and it was just absolute chaos.”
Another left grinding his teeth was Dave Rathmell, a local flooring contractor.
He said: “It’s costing me a fortune. I have had customers ringing me asking me where I am. I could really do without it.”
A female passenger on a Bradford bus said: “When the bus stopped at Asda the driver turned off the engine and began eating a yoghurt so I decided to get off and walk.”
Zaheer Iqbal, 35, who lives close to the roundabout said: “I’m probably going to catch it when I drive into town and hit the traffic on my way back.”
A spokeswoman for Kirklees Council said: “The advanced works signs are out on Bradley Road but not on the approach and we would apologise for this oversight.’’
She added yesterday: “The works on the roundabout will be completed by the end of today and there will be some further work on Bradley Road on Friday to complete lining and anti-skid before the scheme comes to an end.”
