MOTORISTS have been venting their anger at the temporary traffic lights that for a week have been causing lengthy delays between St Ives and Huntingdon. They were set up on Monday, February 22 on the A1123 Houghton Road near the junction with the B1090 Sa

MOTORISTS have been venting their anger at the temporary traffic lights that for a week have been causing lengthy delays between St Ives and Huntingdon.

They were set up on Monday, February 22 on the A1123 Houghton Road near the junction with the B1090 Sawtry Way.

National Grid said the lights were needed so its engineers could investigate concerns that water had got into the gas mains.

But the set up of the lights caused chaos with lengthy delays between the stop-go cycle and no synchronisation with the traffic lights at the junction with Hill Rise.

Journey times between the towns were extended by up to 45 minutes.

Mark Leyland, who lives in Wyton, told The Hunts Post the temporary lights clashed with the permanent traffic lights half a mile down the road, resulting in gridlock.

He said: "I feel I need to register a complaint regarding the very poor operation of these temporary traffic lights. There have not been any warnings of forthcoming road works to allow people to plan alternative routes.

"The delay added around 30 minutes to journeys along that route."

The chairman of Huntingdonshire District Council, Cllr John Davies, who lives in and represents St Ives, said the gridlock showed the needs for a northern by-pass.

Cllr Davies, who has been campaigning for a by-pass for more than 15 years to relieve pressure on the A1123, said he was delayed by the lights on his way to a council meeting in St Ives. He said it took 45 minutes to travel from Hartford to the Burgess Hall.

"We have all this traffic coming through St Ives and it is getting heavier and heavier and the A1123 just can't cope," he said. "I've spoken to one woman who lives in Houghton Road who says her house shakes because of the sheer number of vehicles that pass it."

He said a plan for the by-pass had been drawn up four years ago but he was told nothing would happen due to lack of funding.

"The A1123 is more and more frequently being used as a rat-run and the problem is only going to get worse. I will carry on lobbying for a by-pass but with all these council cutbacks I'm not that optimistic about getting it in the short-term."

National Grid apologised for the delays saying it had eventually had the lights operated manually to avoid disruption.

The Hunts Post was told that they would be removed on Wednesday evening (March 3).