TRAFFIC chaos was unleashed in Clayton-le-Moors this week when the lights controlling Junction 7 of the M65 suffered a “catastrophic failure.”
Police say the traffic lights at the Dunkenhalgh Way started having technical problems during Tuesday but by Wednesday morning they had gone out altogether causing a nightmare for drivers.
Officers were forced to set up a set of temporary lights to control the junction while bewildered drivers in the morning rush hour were kept waiting for hours.
There were reports of people taking more than an hour to travel a few miles and traffic coming from Great Harwood were unable to get on to the junction due to the traffic chaos.
Sergeant Pete Sculpher, of Accrington Traffic Police said: “There was no accident to cause a delay, it was just the lights as the signal box near the GEC Business Park had a systems failure.
“We knew the delays would be on for quite a while as it was a catasrophic failure, it was not just like the lights suddenly went.
“It was quite similar to an incident which took place at Junction 6 near Whitebirk recently. It is rare for the lights to go out this badly and for us to have to put temporary lights in their place.”
