COMMUTERS travelling between Malvern and Worcester were plunged into traffic chaos after 'mistakes' meant work was carried out on two busy roads at the same time.
On Tuesday (July 2) the B4424 between the Rhydd and Old Hills was closed, on the same day temporary traffic lights were in place on the A449 at Bastonford.
The A449 road near the Halfway House in Bastonford is used by people travelling between Malvern and Worcester.
A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience and said an error occurred which led to the disruption.
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Malvern Hills Cllr Tom Wells has claimed Ringway, the contractor used by Worcestershire County Council to conduct these repairs, started work on the B4424 road without the necessary permission or licence.
He added he intervened to sort out the 'chaos' on the roads and saw work stop on the B4424 and it was fully re-opened on Tuesday afternoon.
Frustrated commuters took to social media to express their annoyance.
Cllr Tom Wells said he was 'fed up' by the traffic.
One said the constant road closures were 'unnecessary and infuriating' while another said she faced a 'nightmare' getting to and from work.
Another said they were staggered to see works taking place on the same day.
Cllr Wells further claimed no work was done on the A449 on Tuesday and said the temporary traffic lights should not have been in place if no work was going to be conducted.
Cllr Wells told the Gazette: "I've been trying hard to get to the bottom of this chaos, it seems unacceptable to me that we are faced with so many road closures and diversions.
"There are over 22,000 vehicles using the A449 road every day, why work could not be conducted overnight I don't know.
"I have run out of patience with the highways department regarding this catalogue of mistakes and wasted time.
"This has been a huge inconvenience for people who have been late to work, school and appointments, it's completely unacceptable."
The county council spokesperson added residents were notified in advance of the temporary road closure in Callow End and warning signs were in position but an error occurred.
The roadworks along the A449 continued on Wednesday and the traffic management was lifted temporarily during the evening.
Work was paused to ensure access to polling stations and updates regarding completion of this work on Friday will be available on the council's Our Travel X/Twitter account.
We contacted Ringway but it was unable to comment before we went to press.
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