A MAJOR junction in Darlington, completed just last year, has come under scrutiny following pressure from councillors and traders.

The "throughabout" at the Haughton Road end of the £14.4m Eastern Transport Corridor has became a cause of frustration for local businesses.

Darlington Borough Council is carrying out a review into the situation, but local traders and drivers are urging them to take action soon.

The throughabout works like a conventional roundabout, but also allows vehicles travelling straight on to go directly through the roundabout. The layout involves a traffic lights system, which drivers say is overly-complicated.

Councillor Bill Stenson has written to the council about the matter.

"I quite simply don't know why they put all those lights there," he said.

"I have received a number of complaints about it.

"Older residents using that stretch of road are having to get people to take them through because they are baffled by it.

"I don't think it's the traffic from the new road because there's hardly anyone using it.

"A big roundabout would solve a lot of problems, people are used to them and they know when it is their right of way."

The junction is also heavily used by businesses on the Albert Hill Industrial Estate.

Tim James, manager at Albert Hill Skip Hire, said because his firm ran wagons, they were not able to use the alternative route off the estate, to North Road, because of the railway bridge over Cleveland Street.

"It has impacted on us quite a lot," he added.

"It is constantly snarled up, our drivers are waiting to get out all the time. It is a 15 minute wait to get on or come off the estate.

"It especially affects people waiting for urgent orders, and especially at rush hour.

"It would be better off as a normal roundabout, everyone I've spoken to says the same thing."

A council spokeswoman said: "We have undertaken a traffic flow survey at the throughabout and the Vicarage Road junction and are currently reviewing the findings."