MOTORISTS are being driven to distraction by a roadworks nightmare.

They claim that the closure of Wigan Road and Leigh Road at The Tamar is causing congestion at Dangerous Corner and Nel Pan Lane, and they have called for temporary traffic lights to be installed.

Sewer repair work started on Saturday on a 100m section of the major road between Leigh and Wigan and is expected to last for six to eight weeks.

On Monday one furious businessman, who claims his custom has been affected, complained that there were only two men working at the United Utilities site.

He said: "It's a nightmare. It's ridiculous to have such a small workforce there. You would expect when they are taking on work which will cause such hold ups they would get stuck in and finish it as quickly as possible.

"I was told they would be doing double shifts, does this mean one man in the morning and one in the afternoon?

A Wigan Road resident who called for lights to be installed said it was an ordeal trying to get out of Nel Pan Lane and that traffic was backing up from Dangerous Corner to Westleigh High School.

She also hit out at the lack of bus services using Wigan Road because of diversions and claimed the works would make it very difficult for her son to get to St Mary's High School, Astley, after the holidays.