DRIVERS in Mauchline were left stuck on the A76 after roadworks brought the town to a standstill.

Scottish Water are installing a new washout hydrant on Castle Street and the works have spilled onto Mauchline Cross with four-way traffic lights in operation.

Some drivers were stuck in the queue for almost 40 minutes with tailbacks stretching back for over a mile in each direction. Even at 7pm, traffic was still queued back to the Burns Tower.

One reader complained to us after he got stuck on his way home from work at around 5.15pm.

He said: “It’s ridiculous. The traffic was queued back to the pit road end when I got there. I didn’t think to take an alternative route because the traffic was moving and then it just stopped. It took me over half an hour to get through. My wife got home before me because she went a different road.”

Another reader said that there appeared to be no-one working at the site after 3pm yet the four-way lights remained in position with no visible obstruction on the road.

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to commuters on the A76 at Mauchline as a result of our work.

“We have listened to customer feedback and given that there are concerns about queuing traffic, these lights will now be operated manually at peak times of travel.

“The nature of the work is complex and temporary lights are necessary for excavation work to be carried out. It is anticipated that they will be removed in time for the weekend.”

Elsewhere, repairs to the culvert continue on the B730 at Carbowie Culvert near Stair with temporary traffic controls in place and the B7046 at Burnton Bridge, Ochiltree and the B741 at Knockburnie Bridge, Dalleagles remain closed whist the decks are replaced.