ROADWORKS on a busy route into Swindon has played havoc with traffic from West Swindon and the M4.
Part of Wootton Bassett Road near the railway bridge and Dick Lovett dealership is closed while SSEN carry out utilities work.
Traffic lights are managing the flow of traffic to prioritise who can safely use the one remaining available lane.
To avoid this delay to their journeys, many of the drivers which usually use the road have instead decided travel along a long diversion route via Great Western Way - but this is adding to the congestion near the Bruce Street Bridges roundabout and other junctions.
Peter Mallinson travelled that way while heading from West Swindon to work at the Walcot Community Shop, which he manages.
He said: "People are sat there, burning fuel at a time when it costs so much more to fill up their tanks, stuck in traffic jams for 20 or 30 minutes because of these roadworks.
"The Wootton Bassett Road work is causing a week of havoc, and the way round it takes such a long time.
"Great Western Way was completely blocked up to the Travelodge and B&Q on Thursday, it's so frustrating.
"There would be far less disruption if all work on main roads was done at night - maybe it would cost more but it would be worth it.
"The way it's been done is just thoughtless and pathetic, and it's always the utilities companies or someone other than the council who are apparently to blame.
"Why does this keep happening? Road works on a main route causing all this congestion, sometimes with several schemes happening at once all over town.
"The council don't learn from their mistakes - as soon as one roadworks scheme ends, another starts with no forward thinking about the consequences, they just go ahead and do it.
"Either they don't care or they're just incompetent."
A spokesman for the electricity company said: "Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is carrying out work on Wootton Bassett Road, Swindon to reinforce the power supply to the local infrastructure.
“In agreement with the local authority, these works are being undertaken during the school holidays to minimise disruption to road users as much as possible.
“SSEN would like to thank its customers for their patient while this upgrade is being carried out.”
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