Commuters have described their frustration after facing their first morning of delays at the start of 15 days of roadworks on the main route through Broughty Ferry.
Queen Street is being closed for 15 days from Church Street/Claypotts Road to St Vincent Street/Whinny Brae for resurfacing.
The work, which entails the closure of Gray Street car park, is being carried out on a phased basis.
Diversions are well signposted, and this morning long lines of traffic followed the marked routes on the longer drive into Dundee.
Commuters from Carnoustie and Monifieth on the A930 found themselves being directed off Dalhousie Road and up Abertay Street to Nursery Road. Traffic flowed reasonably smoothly until the Forthill Road junction an area normally busy with traffic bound for Forthill Primary School.If you were one of the motorists stuck in the delays in Broughty Ferry then please get in touch with The Courier on 01382 575325 or email awilson@thecourier.co.ukThere were delays at the junction made worse by temporary traffic lights for localised roadworks in Forthill Road.
One motorist said: “We live about a mile away from where the roadworks are taking place and I couldn’t even get out of my street for traffic this morning.
“It was ridiculous it was just a long line of cars going nowhere quickly. I tried to escape the tailbacks and headed off in the opposite direction from usual and then doubled back.
“It probably shaved a few minutes off the journey but I was still caught in queues as I approached the centre of Broughty Ferry.
“As soon as I crossed underneath the railway line at St Vincent Street the traffic disappeared. There was no congestion whatsoever in the Brook Street, Gray Street or King Street. It was completely clear.
“All the problems were concentrated on Queen Street, Fort Hill, Nursery Road and the surrounding streets where it was nose to tail.”
Another commuter said she had a “rubbish” morning, adding it took “Almost an hour to get to work on the bus.”
More delays were encountered turning into Balgillo Road where drivers suffered the extra frustration of another set of temporary lights at localised roadworks.
From that point motorists were left to choose between continuing along Balgillo Road to the Claypotts junction or heading down Ballinard Road and across to Victoria Road and into the city centre along Strathern Road.
Another resident said: “I had to walk up to Balgillo Road from Queen Street to catch a number 10 quite a distance to walk!”
But while the works created problems for many, they have benefited others.
Laura Hynd said: “The walk to school was much easier this morning.”
In the lead-up to this morning’s work The Courier had heard from local residents and business people, who said they recognised the resurfacing of Queen Street a vital section of Dundee’s busiest commuter route was long overdue.
It was also pointed out that it is sensible to carry out the works now rather than at the peak of the tourist season when traffic is expected to rise with the Commonwealth Games shooting events at Barry Buddon.
But motorists will also ask why two localised, traffic-light-controlled works were also sanctioned for this time on Forthill Road and Balgillo Road, causing further delays to the journey into work.