Delays of more than an hour as temporary traffic lights cause gridlock in Wigan

There were long queues through Bickershaw and Abram on Bickershaw Lane this morning.

Electricity North West (ENW) said that engineers attended immediately to solve the issue with the lights.

The power network operator has been working on installing new underground electricity cables since Monday.

They said United Utilities were also carrying out work.

One motorist told the Wigan Post of the chaos on his morning commute.

He said: “Traffic through Bickershaw and Abram is mental this morning.

“Not sure why but I’ve been at a standstill on Bickershaw Lane for about 20 minutes now, so I’m already expecting to be a few minutes late getting into work.”

A spokesman for Electricity North West said: “Engineers are currently installing new underground electricity cables which will be connected to a substation in the area.

“Temporary traffic lights are being used to ensure our engineers can carry out the work safely.

“Earlier this morning, we were made aware of a problem with the lights and attended immediately and solved the issue.

“Our traffic management plans were agreed with Wigan Council and we expect work to be completed on schedule by Friday, March 13.