A roads chief today demanded urgent action by the Highways Agency after hundreds of motorists fumed in major traffic jams around Bingley last night.

Drivers waited in five-mile tailbacks due to resurfacing of the A650 and improvements to Cottingley Bar junction.

The hold-ups have been hitting motorists for several weeks but reached crisis point last night as people tried to travel to Bingley.

One motorist said his journey home from Bradford to Bingley took 45 minutes - half an hour of it spent travelling the half-mile between Cottingley Cliffe Road and Bingley.

"Whoever took a decision to carry out these roadworks, on a crucially important main road, on a Friday evening with people returning home from work, going out for the evening or away for the weekend, should be sacked," he said.

Today, Councillor Phil Thornton, the chairman of Bradford Council's highways sub-committee, said: "It has had an absolutely devastating effect over a wide area.

"I want the Highways Agency to speed up this work, as it has been going on for weeks.

"We would be very concerned to see one of our contracts extended over this period on a very busy main road."

Councillor Thornton has written to the Council's principal roads engineer, Keith Smith, asking him to raise the concerns with the Highways Agency and pressing for an urgent completion date.

Former police chief superintendent Mark Rand, who lives in Bingley, said: "It has reached the stage where it is totally beyond all reason. My concern is about emergency services. I think life and well-being is at risk."

Mr Rand has taken the matter up with Shipley MP Chris Leslie. He said Mr Leslie had been told by the Highways Agency the road was below the required levels for skid-resistance and needed strengthening.

The Highways Agency said it was unrealistic to suspend work during evening peak periods because of the high levels of traffic throughout the afternoon and because it would further extend the contract.

Another Bingley resident, Jim Westwood, said a journey from Harden to Bingley had taken half an hour. "Something must be done about it," he said.

"This is getting absolutely impossible."

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