Drivers are already being driven round the bend by roadworks on a main commuter road.

There has been heavy traffic all day on the A629 Wakefield Road between Waterloo and Aspley.

Lane one and two are currently closed due to roadworks with just one lane open to traffic.

Aspley roadworks cause large traffic queues and chaos.

Drivers are questioning why the right hand filter lane to St Andrew’s Road has been coned off “for no apparent reason” and one man said he walked along the road quicker than traffic was moving.

Phillip Restall, of Almondbury, said: “It was chaos for no reason whatsoever. I got through at 7.30am but when my wife set off later she never got to work in Huddersfield town centre.

“She only got halfway down Somerset Road in 30 minutes and abandoned her car at 9.30am and decided to work from home instead.

Aspley roadworks cause large traffic queues and chaos.

“I’ve tried to ask Kirklees about why the St Andrew’s Road lane has been coned off and they have been coy about it.”

Pedestrian Michael Parr told the Examiner he walked down Wakefield Road quicker than the traffic was moving.

A Kirklees Council spokeswoman said Northern Gas Networks (NGN) carried out emergency works to locate and repair a gas escape which was located in the road next to the Wakefield Road/Firth Street junction.

She added: “NGN have kept the council informed of progress to find the leak and agreed the traffic management to give sufficient safe working room to locate the leak and carry out the repair as well as enabling traffic to pass as much as possible in the remaining lanes.

Aspley roadworks cause large traffic queues and chaos.

“To achieve as much traffic flow as possible, the right turn lane to St Andrews road was closed off to stop queuing traffic reducing the flow of straight ahead traffic. The diversion is to travel to Shorehead roundabout and U-turn back on Wakefield Road.

“In order to minimise inconvenience to road users, NGN have worked through the night and the escape was repaired at 4am this morning (25/04/2017).

“NGN will be taking further gas readings (Tues) to check that the break in the pipe has now been fully repaired. Subject to those readings, NGN will backfill the excavation and reinstate the road surface tomorrow (Weds) when the road should be fully reopened to traffic.”

Motorists using Wakefield Road have experienced works since last year. There has been major gas mains works followed by resurfacing.

Kirklees Council is spending £1.3m to resurface a half-mile stretch from Aspley to Moldgreen which could take up to 25 weeks.