Hundreds of angry drivers have been caught up in roadworks around Nantwich, with a staggering 15 different sets taking place at the same time.
Now Residents are demanding answers over why so many roadworks were allowed to go ahead at the same time.
The town centre around Hospital Street and Pillory Street has been log-jammed for the past two days.
Scottish Power works on Pratchitts Row, near Hospital Street roundabout with the A534 London Road, has caused long delays, despite being classed as “low impact” by Cheshire East.
The works, to repair damaged electricity cables at a substation, are scheduled to last until March 31.
Meanwhile, works are continuing at the Beam Street, Barony Road, Park View junction where Cheshire East Council engineers are installing new traffic signalling.
This is scheduled to continue until after Easter, April 10.
Some delays on Welsh Row are being caused by United Utilities works on Cross Wood Street to repairs a leaking mains under the footway. This is scheduled to last until March 26.
Other problems this week are on the A529 Audlem Road, with the National Grid carrying out essential gas work to connect new properties being built nearby. This is due to finish on March 27.
And work is continuing at the Alvaston roundabout where engineers are repairing a major leak which flooded the major junction of the A500 and A530 two weeks ago.
Scottish Power are working nearby on Whitehouse Lane to repair faulty electricity cables.
Both these works are due to be completed today (March 24).
And on the A534 Crewe Road in Willaston, roadworks are in place as a new pedestrian crossing is installed near the junction with Colleys Lane.
This is due to last until April 3.
There were also works today on the A51 near Reaseheath where Cheshire East Council engineers were replacing a gully lid.
And delays are expected on Queens Drive where contractors are laying new gas mains until March 27.
Other works are taking place on minor roads such as Talbot Way, Woodland Way and Birchin Lane.
One local business wrote on Twitter: “Traffic is at an absolute standstill in Nantwich, it has taken me 15 minutes to get from HSBC on Hospital St to outside the Boot!”
And another tweeted: “It is shocking! A 10-minute journey took me 50 minutes.”
A third hit out, saying: “@CheshireEast hang your heads in shame. Driving in and around Nantwich is a joke. Whoever is in charge needs to start managing.”
Another motorist added: “Rush hour is definitely getting worse, Nantwich is often gridlocked. Can’t town planning help?”
Some have pleaded for help. One added: “Please help! The traffic this morning in town is ridiculous the traffic lights near Morrisons aren’t even working properly.”
One resident said it “would only get worse as more houses are built”.
A full list of Nantwich roadworks can be found here.
Nantwichnews has contacted Cheshire East Council for a statement on roadworks planning, and are awaiting a reply.
Advice posted on Cheshire East’s Facebook page says: “If you are travelling in or around Nantwich this afternoon you should leave more time for your journeys and avoid the following areas, where possible:
A500/A51 Newcastle Road (Cheerbrook roundabout) – overturned tractor
Hospital Street – temporary traffic signals due to emergency Scottish Power work to return power supply to businesses. This is due to be completed Wednesday morning at approximately 10am.
We are also working on permanent traffic signals on Barony Road and have instructed United Utilities to complete their restoration works on the Sainsbury’s roundabout (following a burst water main on March 12th) as soon as possible.”
I am not saying, Jude (and anyone else) that the work shouldn’t be done, emergency work is emergency work. My point is that if the council insist on doing too much at once, it’s just about tolerable UNLESS an emergency (like the one that happened near you) happens in which case there is no contingency plan. So, what people are saying is not a moan that things shouldn’t be done it is that it should be PLANNED. I don’t get this “ooh they moan if there’s potholes they moan if the roads shut”. No we don’t, we moan that they don’t think through what they are doing and try to do too much. If this wasn’t wrong then why did they make an apology? That’s an admission of error is it not? It is simply not acceptable to have such delays in 2015 when sophisticated planning applications are available. I hope this clarifies my stance. Now to prove I am not a nasty person, Angela my apologies, I did misunderstand you somewhat and was a bit harsh. Sorry.
Speaking as a Hospital Street resident, the emergency works here were unplanned, and the result of underground cable failure, we were without electric for more than 24 hours… ie no hot water, heating, cooking facilities etc. So I for one am grateful for the work being done!
Exactly. The way people are moaning on here, you would think the roads were being dug up for fun.
What’s it going to be like when they start digging up around Leighton Hospital as well?! And they’re shutting Gresty Road. Idiots. Incompetent, arrogant morons. Oh btw, @Amanda Griffin; we live in Crewe: my wife is taking our child to a dance class in Nantwich today, then to my parents, and then to a friends in Church Minshull, then back to Crewe. She has asked if it’s OK to use the car? She could walk it, but with a 1 year old he may need carrying/pushing in the chair a bit… We feel a bit bad because they COULD walk it, but we think it might be easier to use the car? Let me know.
I was referring to people whom use the car for a 10 minute journey etc , as I stated I feel for genuine car users. , not lazy people who use a car to go around the corner etc.
So you’re telling me I am lazy using my car for my 10 minute school run to drive a ten year old 2 miles to get to school for 8:45, on roads may I add that people do a 60 on when they should be doing 40, on a path barely big enough for a single buggy? Then to walk the 2 miles back, to then get in my car and travel nearly 10 miles to work all in the space of an hour?? I don’t think so love!
Crewe Road (from Millstone Lane to the Peacock Roundabout) will be closed today 25th March between 09.30 and 15.30 for Structural Patching. So, my guess is that Nantwich will come to a standstill yet again.
They are fixing the potholes. Yes mending the road means you have to close it, or at least put in temporary traffic lights. People complain when the roads have potholes in them, and complain when they fix them. What do people want?
Not all at once though! It’s common bloody sense!
Haha 50mins on a ten min journey, why would you do that?it is one way, hardly a main road!!
Looks like we are all going to have to eat breakfast in the car now, cheers Cheshire East!!
The bottom line is this has gone on for months ad millstone lane was shut for weeks causing misery to many some of this is th council getting money spent before April thy dt care abt people struggling ad not all car drivers can walk some r disabled like myself no doubt whn this jazz festival is on it’ll be even worse more misery to look forward to
In addition to all this, Leighton Hospital and surrounding areas are also to be mucked about with. Please let us know when you get a statement from these incompetent, idiotic, unhelpful and arrogant people that are supposed to represent our interests. What a joke they are.
I work in morrisons and live not far frm leighton ozzy it was a night mare trynna get hme frm work today nightmare
I feel for genuine car goers doing a long journey but regarding the tweet stating it took 50minutes for a 10 minute journey I have no sympathy for as you could walk , far too many cars on our roads as it is .
You can get from nantwich to crewe in 10 minutes in normal traffic…..Amanda Griffin are you seriously suggesting this is viable to walk?
I’ve done that walk on many occasion .
There are at least 4 different routes I can think of that will get you from Nantwich to Crewe. OK you might get stuck in traffic once, but after that, you can take an alternative.
So few words rarely tell the whole story – I also had a 50 minute journey that normally takes me 10 but I need my car throughout the day to carry out my job. The chaos throughout the day has a major impact on my output and I am sure I am not alone.
Walking around any area where these works are is hazardous, especially at Barony/Millstone lane lights. Alternative crossing areas have been made, but then they have dug up the pavement, with no alternative pathway, each. ”pedestrian this way’ sign, sends you around in circles. I nearly fell in a hole and had to walk on the road!
Knowing this was an issue I took the bus into Nantwich only to miss it because the bus stop had been moved due to the road works by Colley’s lane in Willaston. I unknowingly actually walked past the ‘temporary’ stop but there was no sign there. By the time I reached the stop & started walking back the bus passed me. What a Poor HighwaysDept we have monkeys would do better!!!
i anticipated heavy gridlocked traffic and booked an early taxi to get to Crewe station for 5pm. No traffic at 4pm and we flew through, that must be a record.
Pity that the trains that close the Wellington road crossings don’t stop often enough as it would haveade more sense to get a train.
It was like Holly Holy Day gridlock all over again in Hospital St this morning. Cheshire East you owe us an explanation as to why there are so many roadworks happening at one time. I was “trapoed” in the one-way system of Pillory St/Hospital St for nearly an hour. Why were there no parking restrictions to allow emergency vehicles thro if necessary.