FIGURES have revealed it is no surprise major roadworks are driving motorists around the bend as ‘improvement’ jobs in the town in the last year took more than three months longer than expected.

A Warrington Guardian Freedom of Information request found more than £9m has been spent in the last five years on structural maintenance, junction improvements and traffic light renewals.

But since April 2011 improvement roadworks have left drivers facing increasing delays as work on the Winwick Road/Long Lane junction took 56 days longer than expected.

Traffic light upgrades on Padgate Lane/Orford Road and Kingsway/Thelwall Lane also took a total of five weeks longer than expected meaning 60 per cent of improvement roadworks since April 2011 were delayed.

The statistics, which only included work where the council had to notify residents, found structural work fared better as of the 39 jobs that took place in the last five years, seven were on time, 23 took less time than expected and nine roadworks took longer than expected.

Over the same period only five improvement works were on time with seven taking longer than expected and three were less than the expected time.

A council spokesman said funding for the majority of the schemes was through the council’s local transport plan with the exception of the works at Winwick Road/Long Lane which was also funded through ‘third party contributions’.

Sharon Walls from the council said: “The most common reason for delays to schemes is bad weather, 2012 was a particularly wet year and this contributed to the majority of the delays we experienced in delivery.

“The other factor often at play is those unforeseen issues we can’t predict before a scheme begins such as poor highway construction or failed drainage connections.”

OUTDOOR World was one of the casualties of over-running roadworks in the town.

After 20 years on Winwick Road, the well-established business closed in December last year and owner Colin Scotland believes the roadworks played a ‘significant factor’.

He said: “There were other factors that affected our business over the last 18 months but the roadworks were significant.

“You feel helpless and frustrated when people can’t get to your business and you see it’s life cut off.

“We were 60 per cent down after the roadworks and 12 staff were made redundant.

“It was sad to see the store go and we had a lot of customers telling us they had been shopping there since they were a boy.”

The outdoor and camping business now trades online.

FORMER Winwick Road chippy owner Kadir Keler also believes the work ruined his business.

The 44-year-old ran The Chip Inn for three years before leaving to look after his poorly wife.

He added: “Six months is a long time to lose customers and we were losing £1,000 a week.

“The shock is never being able to recover the money and no way of making a loss of income claim.

“It’s very difficult now for small businesses to survive.”