Motorists worried about gas smells from roadworks on Chapel Hill have no need to worry, Northern Gas Networks say.

Commuters using the busy route into Huddersfield town centre have complained about the smell, as well as traffic congestion, as a result of ongoing works at the junction with St Thomas’ Road and Lockwood Road.

But the company undertaking the work – Northern Gas Networks (NGN) – say engineers have made the site safe and that it is being monitored 24 hours a day.

The works have led to the closure of the outbound lane heading towards Holmfirth.

A Brockholes-based commuter contacted the Examiner and said: “It’s bedlam every rush hour, and the smell is concerning considering there’s been an ongoing fire at the waste site nearby.”

A spokesman for NGN said: “To ensure the smooth flow of traffic in the area, NGN has scaled down a nearby gas mains replacement project on Wakefield Road in consultation with Kirklees Highways Authority, while the repair works take place.

“The repairs are expected to continue throughout this week and further traffic management measures may be required as work progresses.”

Customer operations area manager Paul Sadler said: “Although there is a smell of gas, the site is completely safe. The safety of our customers and engineers is our No1 priority.”