GRIDLOCK on major roads which pass the construction site of a new Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet and Wickes builders merchants could have been avoided if council bosses had insisted on night-time working, says a former Bradford highways chief.

Drivers have endured weeks of long queues to and from Shipley along Otley Road and Baildon Road due to building works on the trading estate opposite the Junction pub.

Single lanes and temporary traffic lights have led to reports of it taking 25 minutes to travel 400 yards.

But retired traffic expert Peter Berry, who was second-in-command of Bradford's Highways department, said there was never any need to bring such misery to his estimate of 10,000 drivers a day.

"The situation has been horrendous and it didn't need to be.

"I'm not just having a whinge - I was the Number Two person in charge of Bradford Council's highways maintenance team and back in 1967 we did jobs like resurface roads in Cottingley entirely at night.

"The council should have only granted planning permission for work to be done overnight.

"Apart from some cost savings, why on earth does it have to be done though the day?" said Mr Berry, 75.

"I was on a bus the other day and it took 25 minutes to get from St Aidan's Church, on Baildon Road to Baildon Bridge and the start of Shipley.

"What is not taken into account these days is what is know as the Economic Rate of Return or ERR.

"That means the cost in time and fuel caused to each of what I estimate to be 10,000 people a day being so held up on these roads," said Baildon resident Mr Berry.

Ward councillor Debbie Davies said residents and visitors were extremely frustrated by the works and lack of advance signage.

"I've had several complaints including one man who said it took over an hour to get from Canal Road to Baildon and a couple who were staying in Otley and gave up while trying to get to Saltaire .

"This has caused real inconvenience to local people and does nothing to encourage visitors," Cllr Davies said.

"Simple signs explaining and apologising would have been be great then people could try and find alternative routes or travel at a different time."

She has now been told by senior council highways officers that the works in question are due to end by this Sunday , December 7.

But further resurfacing works are expected to start in the New Year although no dates have been provided as of yet.

Cllr Davies has been told that while it is recognised that commuters have been frustrated, night-time working is a sensitive issue due to the risk of complaints over noise.

Nobody from Bradford Council was available for comment yesterday.