Drivers are bracing themselves for long delays during 12 weeks of road works on one of the busiest routes around Hampton.

Traffic has increased along the riverside in Upper Sunbury Road since work began on January 9, with two-way traffic lights in place.

Drivers crossing Kingston Bridge and Hampton Court Bridge have been caught in the tailbacks.

IT worker Alastair Mcfadzean, 49, who lives in Graburn Way, East Molesey, but commutes to Bracknell using the M3, said: “It is a nightmare.

“I dropped my wife off at Hampton Court station at 7.15am and sat in traffic for at least 20 minutes.

“There’s no way of avoiding that road. This is the fourth time in less than 12 months it has been dug up.”

He said last year in May it took two months to repair gas works. A water main replacement caused another two weeks of problems.

Councillor Chris Harrison, Richmond Council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “Roadworks are a necessity, but nobody likes being caught in the queues that result from them.

“The work is extensive and Southern Gas has been asked to work seven days a week to get the job done.

“To assist traffic flows the permanent traffic signals at the junction have been switched off so as not to impact on the temporary lights associated with the works.

“The traffic flow is being monitored and we have urged the gas company to use all means at its disposal to get the work finished as quickly as possible, without of course unduly disrupting people who live along the road.”

A spokesman for contractors Morrison said the roadworks were the second phase and would be finished by April 5.

She said: “We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused by these works and reassure residents that we are working as hard as possible to bring the project to a speedy conclusion.”