WORCESTERSHIRE County Council is reporting that Hylton Road, St John's, Worcester, is due to re-open this afternoon.

However, temporary traffic lights will remain in place while National Grid continues to carry out gas repair works near the Crown and Anchor.

Access to Hylton Road properties is via the city centre end of the road. The university end is shut.

Earlier, frustrated commuters were being caught in queues of up to an hour heading towards the city along Henwick Road, which is being used as a diversion while Hylton Road is closed for National Grid to carry out repair work on a leaking gas main.

The “emergency closure” of Hylton Road was put in place at 7pm last night.

The closure is the latest in a catalogue of problems along Hylton Road, which has been closed several times in recent weeks due to flood water rising out of drains.

One frustrated resident of Lechmere Crescent called the Worcester News this morning as she sat in the traffic on Henwick Road.

She said she had been stuck in the tailback for almost an hour and that had made her late for work and her son late for school.

“At the moment I feel quite angry to be stuck in traffic again,” she said. “It feels like the road has not been open properly for more than two weeks for a long time now.

“It is an absolute mess. We are watching the petrol guage drop as we just sit here.”

She added: “Somebody, somewhere should be compensating us for this. It has been going on for weeks and weeks. If they are not careful then house prices are going to fall because these will be known as the roads that no-one can get to.”

Bus disruption

31B (Worcester – Hylton Road – University – Henwick Park): This service is being operated along the standard 31 route, omitting Hylton Road and diverting via St John’s and Laugherne Road instead due to the emergency gas works. It is expected to return to its normal route later this afternoon when the road is to re-open under temporary traffic lights.

• Click here for the latest traffic and travel news.