TRAFFIC management measures put in place days before roadworks were due to begin on a busy carriageway actually made things less safe.

That's the view of Joesphine Eastice, who lives near a three-way temporary traffic light system on the Blunsdon Road junction with Thames Avenue.

Over last weekend, and on Monday and Tuesday, it caused long tailbacks with annoyed motorists seeing no evidence of work being carried out on the site.

Josephine claims to have seen some impatient drivers mounting the kerb to go around the cones. She is worried this could cause an accident.

“It’s dangerous and disgraceful. People are getting frustrated because it takes much longer to get to work or pick up children from school," she said.

“Around rush hour and around 3.30pm, there are long queues there, it’s gridlocked. This is ridiculous and we had no notice that this was taking place.

“Some drivers, as well as bigger vehicles that need to avoid the cones, were going on to the pavement, it was scary.

“There were cones and lights set up early but no workmen around and nothing was actually happening there.”

The work began on Thursday and is expected to be finished by the end of the week.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said: “The work on Thames Avenue is part of a £40 million scheme by CityFibre to provide full fibre infrastructure across Swindon which will provide faster internet to homes in the town.

“This work has been ongoing in Haydon Wick and Greenmeadow for a number of weeks.

“The work was due to begin on July 1 and last for four days.

“An early start was requested by the company, which is why traffic management was put in place.

“But this will now only be put out immediately prior to the work starting on each day to minimise any inconvenience to local residents.”

Josephine was pleased at how quickly the borough had acted to mitigate the traffic issues she had seen.

She said: “Not long after I called the Adver on Tuesday, the lights and cones were all gone and there was nothing there any more, like magic.

“I hope this helps ease the traffic.

"I think it is a good idea to take the lights and cones down when the work isn’t going on.”