MOTORISTS in Newport are facing weeks of traffic chaos because of one set of temporary lights.

The lights put in place on Langland Way in Spytty caused severe gridlock for people heading to work today and yesterday.

At one point, shortly after 8am, traffic tailbacked from Carcraft to George Street Bridge, with some motorists claiming it took 40 minutes to travel less than a mile.

David Tullett, from the Southern Distributor Road contractors, Morgan Vinci, said: "We have installed a new set of traffic-lights along Langland Way. The congestion was nothing like we expected.

"We will be in and out as quickly as we can, but it is likely to be three to four weeks as both we and Welsh Water have to carry out work.

"We have guys out at the traffic-lights, looking at the phasing of the lights. "There was an accident on the M4 and it is possible this had an effect on traffic."

Carolyn Coombes, who works on the Felnex industrial estate, near the Transporter Bridge, was one of the motorists caught up in the chaos. She said: "It took me 40 minutes to get to work instead of ten, but what was really frustrating was that it seemed to come out of the blue, and there had been no warnings.

"There is a large estate with a steelworks, and Flogas and other industries here. If there was an accident there is now only one route for people to get in and out, which was completely gridlocked."

The £55 million road is intended to solve problems with congestion through the centre of Newport by linking the Coldra junction (24) with the Pont Ebbw junction (28).

Work on the landmark bowstring bridge which will link Corporation Road and Usk Way was completed last week.