THE county council has been accused of causing ‘mayhem’ for businesses as roadworks on the A38 near North Petherton cause traffic congestion.

Workmen have started creating a cycle lane along parts of the busy road with temporary traffic lights installed to control single lane traffic.

But traders on the Junction 24 business park are feeling the effects of the 12-week-scheme as traffic is often stretching back past the entrance, meaning cars are effectively prevented from leaving.

Butcher Malcolm Pyne, whose shop is near the entrance, says his business is being strangled by the roadworks.

“My Saturday business is down by a quarter, but that’s hardly surprising: as soon as the traffic builds up it’s total gridlock out there and no-one can get in and out,” he said.

“A couple of times drivers have got so frustrated that they have already come to blows. It’s absolute mayhem. But every time I complain to the council the only response I get is someone telling me my call has been logged.”

Mr Pyne said it was incomprehensible that the work should have been started at the peak of the summer season.

“If the council wanted a way of causing the most inconvenience to the maximum number of people they couldn’t have found a better way,” he said.

“This work should have been done in the winter, with twice as many men on the job and they should have had night-time working so that it was completed as quickly as possible and with as little fuss.”

One worker at the livestock market reported taking an hour and 20 minutes to reach his home in the centre of North Petherton, just half a mile away.

Stuart Martin, general manager at Carrs Skoda said that his business had been affected particularly badly on the weekends.

“It has caused difficulties for our business because customers simply haven’t been able to get to the dealership,” he said.

“This Saturday we only had two customers who managed to make it to the premises, we had to try and do the rest of our business over the phone.”

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “This is an important development which responds to the needs of local people by providing safer routes for cyclists and walkers between North Petherton and Bridgwater.

“Although we appreciate that at times this will cause some disruption, ultimately the end result will provide a much needed link between the two towns.”

The spokesman also said it is not possible to undertake night-time working due to safety reasons and the nature of the works would still require traffic lights 24/7 to allow a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists.