Motorists are complaining about Chester being grid-locked at certain times due to roadworks taking place at the same time on many major routes across the city.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has been accused of failing to coordinate the work so it is staggered.

Some of the work is associated with junction alterations associated the opening next month of supermarkets Asda on the Greyhound Retail Park and Waitrose at Boughton, a major arterial route.

In addition, the council has been carrying out resurfacing work overnight this week in Liverpool Road which has also slowed the traffic during the day. And the Highways Agency is carrying out £5.3m improvement work at the A483-A55 junction just outside Chester, but again the work is overnight between 9pm and 5am at the moment.

Thrown into the mix are endless complaints about the Sainsbury’s roundabout which regularly sees traffic entering Chester backing up on the A41 as far as the Waverton turn-off, although the highways department insists it “controls the traffic better than it ever did”.

Nick Boddy said on Facebook said: “Who in their right mind would have so many roadworks on the go at one time in a city that can’t cope with traffic at the best of times and then they build a hamburger roundabout in Boughton to ease congestion from the new Saighton camp site, that obviously isn’t working.”

Carl Schofield wrote: “About time the muppets on the council listen to the people that elected them instead of saying we will do what we want to do, grid-locked city, wasted millions on new theatre no one wants. Get in the real world, wasters.”

Jane Linley commented: “Took me one hour to get from Blacon to Saltney this week. Any fool can see there are too many roadworks at once!”

Paul Owen disagreed with CWaC chief executive Steve Robinson who recently described the authority as “leading council in the country”.

He responded on Facebook: “Leading council! At what? Completely wrecking the city and blocking up the roads with roadworks on every corner of the city at once!”

And from Monday (October 6) drivers are reminded that a section of Chester’s Inner Ring Road is closing in both directions at night for two weeks. Major resurfacing work is being carried out between Nuns Road and Sens Close from 7pm until 6am.

And during the first four nights resurfacing work will be carried out on Grosvenor Road and Grosvenor Roundabout. There will be no overnight working on the weekend of October 11 and 12. Signed diversion routes will be in operation.

A Cheshire West and Chester Council spokesman said: “There are currently a number of resurfacing projects underway as we aim to carry out these works before the onset of winter.

“Many of the schemes currently underway in the Chester area have been programmed to be carried out at night to minimise the disruption to the travelling public.

“The Council manages the co-ordination of works on the highway - whether they are our own works or those of a utility company or a third party such as a developer - though our dedicated street works team.

“Quarterly meetings are held with utility companies and other works promoters to share information and co-ordinate programmed activities on the network.  

“Advance information on all works can be found at http://roadworks.org/ which also includes information on events within the borough.

“Works of a major nature are also notified to the public via advanced information boards or matrix signs placed on site and supplemented by letter drops to those residents and businesses directly affected.”