ESSENTIAL work to replace old metal gas pipes in Shipley could mean two months of extra-long summertime queues for drivers heading from Baildon to Bradford, warns a councillor.

Northern Gas Networks (NGN) is spending £180,000 to replace around 300 metres of ageing gas pipes with new durable plastic mains.

The eight week project is due to start on Monday, July 13, and is part of the company’s ongoing £4.5 million investment in improving local infrastructure.

Baildon ward Councillor Val Townend (Con) said drivers were going to face terrible jams on top of existing problems.

"It's going to be appalling," she said.

"It already takes forever to get to Bradford through Shipley because of the collapsed wall and then the road works along Canal Road.

"It's almost so bad now - you almost can't imagine it could be worse."

Shipley MP Philip Davies (Con) said while he welcomed the improvements, it would obviously cause further traffic issues.

"I suppose if work's got to be done, the best time to do it is the summer holidays, but it seems some stretches are always having roadworks of some kind, which could be avoided with better co-ordination," Mr Davies (Con) said.

The work will be carried out in three phases, with one lane of the Otley Road closed throughout the whole project.

During the first phase, due to last two to three weeks, work will be done overnight at the junction of Dockfield Road and Otley Road.

Work on the second and third stages will be from 8am until midnight, seven days a week.

From Monday, July 27, phase two work will continue from the junction of Dockfield Road and Otley Road, to the junction of Viewcroft Road and Otley Road for two to three weeks.

On Monday, August 10, work will move to the junction of Viewcroft Road and Briggate for approximately three weeks.

Construction services area manager for NGN Ian Cunningham said: "We know that no one likes roadworks, so please be assured that we’ll do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum."

During the final week of the project, scheduled to start on Tuesday, September,1,works will take place in the footpath which will result in its closure. At all other times footpaths will remain open with some restricted access.