Another wet morning, another day of long delays on the roads.
A two-vehicle crash on the M62 yesterday caused lengthy delays for commuters travelling across Yorkshire.
The chaos prompted an angry response from the Mayor of Kirklees about the delay in improving the road network.
Clr Martyn Bolt was one of thousands of drivers stranded in lengthy tailbacks after a car became jammed in the central reservation near Outlane.
The female driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries. The crash happened on the Westbound stretch between junctions 24 (Ainley Top) and 23 (Outlane) at 6.10am.
One lane of the Eastbound carriageway was closed as well as two lanes on the Westbound.
At one point traffic jams stretched back 10 miles to junction 28 at Tingley and drivers were warned of 90-minute delays.
Lanes two and three were closed on the Manchester-bound carriageway until 8.30am.
The crash had a knock-on effect on local roads including the A62 Leeds Road Eastbound between Deighton Road and the A644 Wakefield Road.
Queuing traffic stretched along the A644 Wakefield Road between junction 25 (Brighouse) and Cooper Bridge roundabout.
Kirklees mayor and Mirfield ward councillor Martyn Bolt was on his way to a function when he found himself stuck in yesterday’s traffic.
He said: “The problems on the M62 are creating massive problems for the A62 and other local roads.
“The Highways Agency is vetoing local authorities which want to improve the local transport network.
“Kirklees and Calderdale councils both recognise Cooper Bridge needs improving and can see the benefit to businesses and residents, but the Highways Agency has vetoed it.
“They say it will cause problems for the motorway network.
“It just seems wrong that an unelected body has the power to decide what local authorities can or cannot do.
“In 2006 officers made enquiries and were told the Highway Agency wouldn’t support it.
“It seems the Highways Agency doesn’t want traffic on the motorway and they don’t want to help us deal with the congestion when there are problems on the motorway.”
He said he would support a slip road in the Fixby or Rastrick area.
An Agency spokesman said: “The emergency diversion routes on local roads which the Agency use have been developed in conjunction with the local authorities in West Yorkshire.
“When such a serious incident occurs these routes have to cope with traffic from one of the busiest routes in the region.
“The Agency has been working closely with Calderdale and Kirklees Councils on the development of their Local Development Frameworks to identify what infrastructure will be needed on both local roads and the strategic road network in the future to accommodate economic growth and the traffic that comes with it.”
