‘I will buy a Pizza and quietly die in the car’ – Hambridge Road motorist

Further roadworks caused yet more traffic chaos in Newbury over the weekend.

And it’s got residents and businesses up in arms.

One motorist even had to abandon his car and walk three quarters of a mile back home for a comfort break.

“In my 17 years living in Newbury I have never seen total gridlock – until this morning,” complained Ron McPhee.

“And it’s not just because of road closures at the Sterling buildings site.

“I have just had to walk three quarters of a mile to get home to use the toilet having been forced to park up at Papa John’s.

“I will now have to walk three quarters of a mile back to the car where I will buy a Pizza and quietly die in the car.

“Please tell my wife that I love her and that there is food in the fridge!”

West Berkshire Council has also come in for a battering from local businessman Warren Ellis, of Cutting Edge Fabrics.

“Nobody ever tells you or warns you,” he said. “The lorries, the skips outside the shop.

“This is now becoming a regular occurrence to all business along the 100 metre stretch to where the bridge is.”

The weekend work took place on Boundary Road, Kings Road and Hambridge Road.

But again Thames Valley Police were quickly forced to also close Mill Lane to traffic to ensure they could have access for emergency vehicles.

Motorists also complained that there were no signs warning of the closure on the A4, before vehicles turned into Hambridge Road.

“There were skips outside the front of the shop,” Mr Ellis added. “Here we go again, I thought. I moved the business to Hambridge Road six years ago.

“The last two years it’s been a nightmare with the building works and digging up the roads. Newbury Tool Hire are also badly affected.

“We were down by half our usual footfall at the weekend.

“It doesn’t help they put the traffic lights outside the shop either. I get they have to do the work if there is a gas leak… but it is very annoying.”

Roadworks have been taking place on these roads since last summer.

Boundary Road had been closed to northbound traffic, with only southbound traffic permitted from its junction with Kings Road to its junction with Railway Road, from August 1.

It reopened in the middle of December, before closing again during the week for the past three weeks.

The most recent closure was said to have been in place to allow Volker Highways, on behalf of West Berkshire Council, to carry out highway repair and maintenance works.