Drivers have criticised how emergency works were handled on what was described as the “most important road” in Kirklees.

Wakefield Road has been the scene of gas works largely since April last year.

It came to a head for drivers yesterday who told us they faced a journey of one and a half hours and miles of tailbacks to get into Huddersfield.

And there is still heavy traffic today.

Kirklees Council said Northern Gas Networks (NGN) carried out “emergency works” to repair a gas escape at the Wakefield Road/Firth Street junction at Aspley.

But drivers who have faced delays along Wakefield Road since last April said enough was enough.

But there could be more to come.

The road, which carries more than 3,700 vehicles every hour at peak times, was recently described as “Kirklees’ most important road” by Clr Peter McBride, as Kirklees announced a £1.3m resurfacing project, which is pencilled in to begin in May.

On the Facebook post of our story Donna Jowett wrote: “Took me 65 minutes from Shelley to town. No signage whatsoever, at least give people chance to get into the right lane!”

Victoria Mulcahy wrote:Almondbury was gridlocked. Never seen it so bad and have travelled the route to work for 20 years.”

Steve Hirst wrote: “When you get to the end of the fourth lane you only find out you can’t turn right but then the cones send you into the third lane to get through. Utter madness! People still turning right and I can’t blame them.”

Louisa Bostwick wrote: “Thousands of people were affected by this. Driving into Huddersfield from the Wakefield Rd and Penistone Road direction is getting worse and worse and there are almost constant roadworks on Wakefield Road. Totally fed up with it.”

Asif Tanvir wrote: “I’ve been running my business in Aspley since 1998 and I can’t remember a stretch of Wakefield Road from Shorehead to Waterloo that has been free of any ‘roadworks.’

Some said the traffic light signals should have been re-programmed, others said people would complain to NGN if there was a gas leak.

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Last April NGN told us they would be doing 25 weeks of work – the first phase between Dalton and Waterloo and the second phase at Moldgreen.

In January they were nearing completion but scaled back in February due to gas works at Chapel Hill and the impact the highways.

Last week NGN announced that old gas pipes are set to be replaced around Leeds Road and St Andrew’s Road, due to start on May 2 and finish next June.

Kirklees Council is due to start a six-month £1.3m resurfacing project – on Wakefield Road from Aspley Basin to the Tolson Museum.

The Examiner has asked NGN to comment.