HARASSED motorists say they are being driven to distraction by tailbacks at a new junction on Darlington's £12m Eastern Transport Corridor.

Drivers say the new “throughabout” on the multimillion pound road, which was built to prevent congestion, is causing “absolute bedlam”

as traffic is being forced to queue for up to 30 minutes.

The throughabout, which links the Eastern Transport Corridor with Haughton Road, works like a conventional roundabout, but also allows vehicles travelling straight on to go directly through the roundabout. The new layout involves a trafficlights system, which drivers say is overly-complicated.

Donald Robertson, who works as a white goods repair man, said the road system had caused problems for him returning from customers’ houses to Albert Hill Industrial Estate, where he is based.

“It looks absolute bedlam,”

said Mr Robertson, 42.

“Why is there standing traffic adding 20 to 30 minutes to a journey?

“One day last week I was stuck for ages waiting for the traffic lights to change. Traffic is backed up both ways. It is a nightmare.”

David Swan, who works at a solicitor’s practice in town, said the throughabout should have been better designed to keep traffic moving.

“It may have been better just as a roundabout, without traffic lights altogether,” he said. “Road planners in this town seem hell bent on causing tailbacks and standstill traffic.”

A council spokeswoman said they expected the delays to reduce when people got used to using the new road.

She said: “The road has been open for less than a week and we are aware that it will take time for people to change their driving habits.

“We are also consulting on a range of measures in Haughton, which we hope will encourage drivers to use the new road.”