SILSDEN is facing months' more motoring misery.

As anger still rages over long-running repairs at one side of the town, it has emerged work is about to start at the other.

Temporary traffic lights have been in operation for about eight months on the busy A6034 in Bolton Road, where Bradford Council is rebuilding a section of wall.

The prolonged project has caused massive congestion, infuriating drivers.

Council chiefs have pledged that work should be complete by Monday (Aug 7).

But they've dropped the bombshell that a separate wall repair scheme, scheduled to last for six months, is to be carried out on the A6034 Keighley Road.

Temporary traffic lights will operate during the project, due to begin on August 15.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, the council's executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, said the section of retaining wall had been badly damaged in the Boxing Day floods and repairs were essential.

Work will also be carried out on a similarly-damaged wall in Bradley Road, where a traffic closure and diversion will be in place for 12 weeks.

"The flooding undermined the walls to the extent that any repeat could result in a total collapse – risking not only people's safety but the total closure of both roads for a long time," said Cllr Ross-Shaw.

"We realise that this work will cause quite a lot of traffic disruption in the area, but we don't have a choice.

"We would ask that residents and road users remain patient while we try to make sure that both walls are safe and secure whatever the weather brings in the future."

He added that the contractors would be working at weekends too to speed-up the scheme and the situation would be monitored to ensure that impact on residents was minimised.

Private accesses near the work sites will remain in use and pedestrian ways will be maintained.

Silsden mayor, Councillor Peter Robinson, said there was anger that the town council hadn't been consulted over the work.

"It is going to cause havoc – especially at peak times," he added.

Motorist Tim Dewey, who uses the main route through Silsden daily, has been highly critical of the length of time the current wall repairs are taking and has worries over the latest scheme.

"There is no question the wall in Keighley Road needs to be done – there are sections missing and it is looking shaky in places – but 24 weeks here is going to create chaos," he said.

"How many people is the contractor going to be putting on this work compared to the other project, which seemed to have a skeleton crew? And are there penalties built in if the contractor goes beyond the 24 weeks?

"At the very least, they should install traffic lights which change to allow vehicles through when there is nothing coming from the other direction."

The council says anyone wanting more information about the works should call 01274 431000.