Concerns surrounding the roadworks at Woods Lane in Melton appear to have been realised after commuters experienced delays on the first day of the second phase of works.

This second phase of the closure will last until around April 13 following on from a month long closure last November.

The road is now closed along a stretch of the A1152 between the crossroad with Melton Road and the Street and the A12 roundabout.

Plans had been put in place to try and curtail some of the traffic problems experienced in the first phase of works.

Developer Bloor Homes agreed to certain changes in the way the closure would be run, including the changing of Saddlemakers Lane to a one way street.

“As with Phase One, in order to reduce HGV traffic in Woodbridge, there will be two diversion routes in place which have been agreed with Suffolk County Council and are deemed appropriate. Following the Phase 1 closure Suffolk County Council have deemed it necessary that a section of Saddlemakers Lane is to be one way during the Phase two closure,” said Bloor in a statement last week.

However residents and commuters reported that delays had started to build in the area once again during the morning rush hour on Monday and that some vehicles were not taking the recommended diversion routes.

Chair of the planning and transport committee for Melton Parish Council, Buffy Barrington, said yesterday: “It’s been very bad.

“The agreed measures with highways were not in place in time.

“As a Parish Council we have done everything we can.”

Residents had asked that working hours be increased to 24 hours a day on the site to increase the speed by which the works would be completed.

Bloor Homes recognised the desire for this change but also the opposition received following a consultation in December.

“Recognising that a significant percentage of those who responded to the consultation were happy for extended hours but not a 24-hour operation, this is no longer being considered.”

Last November a poll conducted by this newspaper found that 38% of the 400 respondents had believed the closure had lived up to their expectations, whilst 32% thought it was worse than they had been expecting.