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PHOTOS: Anger as Sunday afternoon traffic chaos hits Lancaster city centre

Monday, 7 October 2024 10:19

By Greg Lambert X @greglam72

Tailbacks on King Street in Lancaster. Photo taken at 5.15pm on Sunday October 6 by Joshua Brandwood.

Motorists were furious as long tailbacks hit Lancaster city centre for several hours on Sunday afternoon.

People took to social media to vent their frustration after reports of traffic congestion around the one-way system and close to Lancaster Railway Station

One said: "It was so frustrating today. Nearly two hours to travel a short distance. We could have got to Manchester and back quicker.

"Once again businesses in Lancaster are going to suffer because why would people bother! Parking prices are shocking and traffic is just infuriating. Something needs to be done!"

Val said: "(Roadworks) should be done from 8pm until 6am like on the motorways!

"So many people's precious Sundays blighted by this. Totally unavoidable and utterly unacceptable."

This photo shows queuing traffic on Station Road at around 1pm on Sunday.

Siobhan said: "It took 45 mins to get from half way down West Road to the junction at the Station."

Mandy said: "It was at a complete standstill at 4pm and took me 40 minutes from the Toll House to Sainsbury's. Absolute bedlam."

Mark said: Increased tailbacks throughout the entire one-way system when the bus lane was implemented at Sainsbury's. Taking out the use of an entire lane out of the city before Greyhound Bridge, simply added to increased frequency of congestion. City planning. What city planning?"

We asked Lancashire County Council, who look after the county's roads, if they knew a reason why traffic may have been so bad on Sunday.

A spokesperson said: "We understand that work was being undertaken by United Utilities in the area."

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We had a team working in Thurnham Street to carry out repairs to a manhole.

"So that they could carry this out safely it was necessary to close one lane.

"We know no-one likes roadworks and we apologise for any inconvenience caused while this essential work was completed."

The spokesperson said that United Utilities had no planned work in the city centre for next weekend, unless an emergency occurs.

The issues on Sunday came shortly after major roadworks over the summer brought the city centre to a standstill.

Works were by Electricity North West, as part of a £750,000 upgrade to the power network, and by Aptus Utilities in the Parliament Street/Bulk Road area to install ducts for cables to serve new student accommodation blocks.

Read more: £750k electricity works causing pain for Lancaster motorists are in 'final stages' - Beyond Radio

*Upcoming scheduled roadworks in Lancaster include an Electricity North West closure on St Peter's Road for repair works (until October 11), Lancashire County Council work to recut signal detector loops on Nelson Street at the junction with St Peter's Road (October 10 and 11) and Virgin Media works on Meeting House Lane (October 13).

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