Contractor to be fined for Wolverhampton roadworks breaches as drivers hit by delays

Motorists have been left frustrated by a number of roadworks projects in the west of Wolverhampton over recent weeks, which have caused lengthy delays.

Council bosses said various works had been planned for the school holidays to minimise disruption but a gas leak in the centre of Compton has prompted additional emergency works and caused traffic chaos.

Wolverhampton Council apologised for delays but said emergency works were beyond its control and as other planned works had already started, they needed to continue.

The work in Compton has resulted in three-way temporary traffic lights and led to long delays on Compton Road, Henwood Road and Bridgnorth Road. Water mains works are also ongoing on nearby Merridale Road.

Other schemes have been carried out on Compton Road and Henwood Road over recent weeks, leaving drivers stuck in queues.

A contractor is to be rapped for leaving temporary traffic lights running further up the Compton Road in Chapel Ash during peak times. Work there has now been completed.

The city council said it would be served with fixed penalty notices for each breach but has not yet named the contractor responsible.

A spokesman said: "Essential utility and maintenance works on major routes which require temporary traffic management are usually programmed during school holiday periods, when the impact to the network will be reduced as school traffic is not present.

"Unfortunately, as well as planned works, we have also had emergency gas works due to a gas leak at a busy junction.

"Unfortunately, as the planned works were already in progress with excavations in the carriageway prior to the emergency, we were unable to ask the contractors to stop works and remove their traffic management. If the works had not already started, we would have revoked the permits and stopped the works from commencing until the emergency works/road closure had been completed and removed.

"The works being undertaken on Compton Road were requested to be carried out during the school holiday period and also working hours were restricted to off peak only to try to minimise the disruption to one of our major routes on the west of the city.

"Night works only would have been unsuitable at this location due to it being a residential area. We are aware that the contractors have breached the restricted working hours and have left temporary traffic lights in operation during peak hours.

"Please be assured that they will receive fixed penalty notice fines for each of these occurrences.

"We can only apologise for any inconvenience caused by the ongoing road works and emergency works in the area, we are monitoring the temporary traffic management and works progress on site.

"We are advising contractors that temporary traffic lights need to be manually operated at peak hours, with traffic flows on all approaches monitored and ensuring resource on these works are maximised to reduce the duration of works and disruption to the network."