“UNBEARABLE” roadworks and temporary traffic lights have forced residents to drive half an hour of their way to avoid sitting in miles of queues.

Homeowners in Rochford say works in Southend Road, Fambridge Road and Ashingdon Road are causing chaos for drivers.

Essex and Suffolk Water and Essex County Council are both carrying out separate works on the road, with some residents left sitting in an hours worth of traffic as a result.

David Conway, of Ashingdon Road, said: “We struggle to get in and out of our home and road and it’s gridlocked and unbearable now. We and our family often get stuck in the awful traffic and at time its standstill for about a mile.

“It seems there’s no coordination and they’ve just done all the works at the same time. When my daughter comes from Barling it takes her over an hour due to the works. It’s just standstill often and we have to add at least 30 minutes to our journey to go via Leigh or Stambridge to get any where.

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“I’ve seen buses stuck for ages and people cannot get to work or school it’s getting quite bad now.

I think it’s crazy and everyone’s up in arms about what’s going on.”

Julie Gooding, Tory councillor for Hawkwell West, added that she has been contacted by dozens of frustrated residents.

She said: “ “I’ve received countless messages from concerned residents who cannot get their children to school or themselves to work on time due to this fiasco.

Echo:

“Someone needs to be accountable- I would suggest highways have messed up on this and residents are suffering.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “While roadworks are being undertaken, there will always be changes to the natural pattern of traffic, but we carefully plan each job to avoid as much disruption as possible.

“Immediate works mean firms do not need permits. This means we are unable to co-ordinate the works like we normally would.”

An Essex and Suffolk Water spokesman said: “Essential work to install a new pipework connection in Southend Road, which began on Monday, is now complete.

“Once the repairs to the road are finished today, the three-way traffic lights will be removed.

“We’re sorry for the disruption it has caused residence and motorists and would like to thank them for their patience while we get things back to normal.”