DRIVERS are clogging up the centre of Holbeach to avoid major roadworks to repair potholes on the A17.
One motorist said he queued on the A17 for half-an-hour on Monday evening as works confined traffic to a single lane.
Yesterday traffic was queuing in both directions on the A17 as workmen focussed on a stretch of road outside The Anglia Motel, at Fleet, but many drivers were opting to divert through Holbeach to avoid the snarl-up.
District councillor Nick Worth urged drivers to be patient because the roadworks are essential to make the A17 safer.
He said: “You have got to do the roadworks to keep the surface in good condition.
“I would ask people to be patient and stay on the A17. The traffic is clogging up the centre of Holbeach but the lights are coping.
“People don’t like to sit still for five minutes. It doesn’t help when lorry drivers think it will be a bit quicker to go through the centre of Holbeach – it probably takes longer than staying on the A17.”
A17 “frequent flyer” Chris Brewis – county, district and parish councillor for Sutton Bridge – said: “There’s an awful lot of people complaining about it but it’s for road safety.”
Lincolnshire County Council says work will go on over this weekend so the road returns to normal by Friday, July 20.
l Major roadworks at the junction of Pinchbeck Road and West Elloe Avenue in Spalding began on Monday, making West Marsh Road, Wardentree Lane and the A16 busier than usual.
The county council says work is on target to finish at the end of September and it has not seen a “significant increase in traffic”.