MORE motoring misery is lined up for people who use the A666 through Darwen, aptly dubbed "the road from hell." We all accept that crumbling 90-year-old water mains have to be replaced and that roads and bridges have to be repaired from time to time.

The problems of the A666 are repeated all over the country.

Frustrated motorists and bus passengers find that one set of works is invariably followed by another set a few hundred yards down the road.

And the immediate reaction is to criticise the council.

But we must stress that it is not local authorities that are at fault here. They have no control on where or when public utilities can dig up our roads.

The solution lies with central government who must give local councils the authority to co-ordinate road works.

The A666 is likely to be the subjected to horrendous traffic jams for weeks on end.

And, although it will be no consolation to those who sit fuming as they miss appointments or turn up late for work or to collect the kids from school, much of the chaos could be avoided if central government got its act together.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.