I AM sure that I am not alone in having serious concerns about the latest major road works being overseen by Darlington Borough Council and the negative impact this is likely to have on local road tax payers.

Over recent years the council’s attempts to ease congestion by redesigning roads has been nothing short of an embarrassing disaster.

Cast your minds back to the ‘drive through’ roundabout on Haughton Road. The increase in traffic jams, inconvenience and delays has been quite spectacular. Alterations to the ring road at The Northern Echo Arena where drivers, for no obvious reason, are forced to change into the ‘wrong’ lane in order to continue on a straight line is nothing short of bizarre.

Further along the ring road the council had a fabulous opportunity during recent works to resolve an age old problem of drivers overtaking on the inside lane in order to beat orderly queues waiting to access to A66.

Did they do it?

Of course not, instead they have simply legitimised poor driving by encouraging people to race each other on to the A66.

Finally the recent absurdity at the B&Q junction in North Road is now something to behold, with drivers forced to slalom between lanes only to become ‘trapped’ by a buses pulling into stops or unintentionally forced to block access for other drivers wanting to exit other routes.

Let’s face it, Darlington Council has an abysmal track record (no pun intended) when it comes to the redevelopment of the road infrastructure.

Unless you are a pedestrian, I see very little faith or confidence in Darlington Council members.

S Palmer, Darlington