Watch traffic CHAOS at Northampton General Hospital on the first day of THREE-MONTH major roadworks in the area

There was traffic CHAOS at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) yesterday (Monday) as the first day of major roadworks in the area began.

Multiple reports have been sent into this newspaper describing the state of the the gridlocked traffic at NGH between 4pm and 6.30pm last night.

The improvement works - which West Northamptonshire Council is responsible for - on Cliftonville Road and Bedford Road started on Monday and are expected to finish in December.

The works will see the carriageway widened on the approach to Bedford Road, creating an additional lane.

A video was sent in to the Chron at 6.30pm last night describing the chaos in the hospital's car park.

The person recording the video said: "This is the first day. There are staff in the car park who have been waiting nearly two hours to get out.

"There's actually a guy over there who's had his chemotherapy at 4.30pm and been stood there ever since, trying to get out.

"It's not moving. This is all gridlocked down here. This is all people queuing to get out. And it's been like it since 4pm. And it's going on until December. What the hell."

A cancer patient also got in touch with this newspaper to describe his horror.

He said: "Just to give you an idea of how bad it was, I was there from 10am until 4.30pm after a day of chemo and radiotherapy - my car moved one place by 5pm. I eventually got out of the car park at 6.45pm.

"I saw mothers with young babies, and nurses who had finished long shifts at 4.30pm, leaving the hospital at 6.30pm.

"This debacle is going to continue until December. I'm lucky, I'm only there short term.

"I don't know why this wasn't foreseen by the council planners. I didn't see anybody there monitoring the chaos that was bound to come.

"There should have been some additional traffic management or controls out in place at least during the rush hours.

"I'm writing this to you as I didn't know who else [to go to]. I know it would be a waste of time telling the council."

West Northamptonshire Council and NGH have been contacted for comment.