Engineers today promised to look at ways of avoiding traffic chaos at Newsome.

They are to look at over-riding traffic lights brought in to control traffic at the Newsome Road/King’s Mill Lane junction.

The start of a three-week roadworks scheme brought huge problems this morning for hundreds of drivers.

Many queued for up to 40 minutes as traffic jams built up around the area.

In the worst case, cars queued up Newsome Road, down Newsome Road South and back along Woodhead Road towards Honley –  a distance of almost two miles.

There were also big queues at the traffic lights at Lockwood Bar, as extra traffic stuck to the main Woodhead Road to avoid the Newsome hold-ups.

That meant traffic snarled back along Meltham Road towards Armitage Bridge.

The work is being carried out by contractors working for Northern Gas Networks, to replace old mains pipes.

The junction is now being governed by a four-way traffic light system, with single-file traffic in each direction.

But a spokesman for Northern Gas said: “We are aware of the problems, particularly at peak times, and will look to do what we can.

Road works at junction of Newsome Road and King's Mill Lane
Road works at junction of Newsome Road and King's Mill Lane

“The engineers have promised to look at manual operation of the lights at peak times in the morning and afternoon to try and limit the queues.

“The work has been planned and signposted for some time and is essential. It is part of a major campaign to replace the old metal pipes with plastic pipes and work has to be done at this site.

“There is a safety issue with the old pipes which are prone to corrosion.”

The work is scheduled to run until November 11.

One angry driver said: “I had to pick up a friend in Newsome and we sat in traffic which stretched right back down through Berry Brow and along the main road.

“The lights were allowing only a handful of cars through each time.”