The traffic misery that has blighted the lives of many York drivers is set to continue until the end of the month at least.
A lane closure on the A64 outer ring road has led to long delays since the beginning of September.
The inside lane of the eastbound carriageway is coned off between Askham Bar and Fulford Interchange.
During rush hour, the jams are so bad they have spread from the A64 itself onto Tadcaster Road and the A19.
One frustrated driver got in touch with YorkMix to ask: “What is going on with the lane closure on the A64 over the Ouse bridge?
“The signs say closed for safety reasons but no sign of any work being carried out. The closure is causing tailback chaos but for how long?”
And a York businessman told us he had spent “a whole week being stuck on the A64 each day”.
“No work has been done and the highways management is causing chaos in traffic delays all the way into York,” he said.
Working hard
YorkMix got in touch with National Highways, the organisation responsible for the works.
It said the lane closure was needed to carry out urgent repairs to the bridge over the River Ouse.
A rail in the parapet was damaged in a vehicle collision on 1 September. The damage meant the barrier no longer offered enough protection in the case of another crash.
And the replacement parts were bespoke and had to be made to order.
“As a result, the entire parapet needs to be replaced, and we’re working with our partners to have this made and fitted as soon as possible,” said National Highways service manager Mandy Foster.
“To keep drivers safe while the issue is fixed, we need to keep one lane closed in this area.
“We understand the lane closure has been causing significant delays and we’re working hard to fix the damaged parapet and re-open the lane as soon as it’s safe to do so.
“We aim to have this work completed by the end of September. We want to thank everyone for their patience as we work to complete the repair.”
In the meantime, she said anyone planning to travel in this area is advised to plan ahead, allow plenty of extra time for their journeys and avoid travelling during peak traffic periods if at all possible.