Shop owners say they’re losing hundreds of pounds a day and dozens of complaints have been lodged due to roadworks that have caused major traffic jams in Dundee.
Work on gas mains renewal at the junction of Albert Street, Dura Street, Forfar Road and Pitkerro Road in Stobswell has sparked long queues along some of the city’s major arteries.
Buses run by Xplore Dundee have faced “severe delays” since the introduction of three-way traffic lights at the junction. Passengers on services 15, 17 and 32/33 have been asked to allow more time for journeys.
Many motorists have also complained of traffic jams of up to 20 minutes.
Local businesses also claim to have been hit hard.
Jim Sturrock, owner of Forte’s Cafe on Dura Street, said: “Dundee is not built for this. This is one of the main arteries into the city and it’s just horrendous.
“There are cars queueing up all the way down Pitkerro Road and Forfar Road and we’ve got to put up with this for another two weeks.
“Footfall is also down. There are 125 traders in Stobswell and, for some businesses, I have heard that business is down by as much as 25-30%.
“I’ve not been so bad. I’m probably down about £60 a day, but I’ve still got to look at the eight-week period and see how I will manage it.”
Graham Bradley, Tayside’s regional chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, added: “I have had dozens of businesses complaining about the roadworks over the last few weeks.”
The roadworks, carried out by SGN, are due to last another two weeks.