A MAIN road closed without warning at 7pm on Tuesday night brought traffic chaos to Holywell Hill in St Albans. St Stephen s Hill was closed all the way from its junction with King Harry Lane down to Holywell Hill s junction with Prospect Road. Councillor

A MAIN road closed without warning at 7pm on Tuesday night brought traffic chaos to Holywell Hill in St Albans.

St Stephen's Hill was closed all the way from its junction with King Harry Lane down to Holywell Hill's junction with Prospect Road.

Councillor Fred Wartenburg said: "I spoke to the workmen who told me they had come to resurface the roundabout where people turn for Sainsbury's. This was at 7pm when rush-hour traffic was going crazy.

"They told me the actual work would only take three hours but had been told to close the road overnight from 7am to 7pm. If they had closed the road just one hour later there would not have been a problem."

Cllr David Poor, who was also on the scene, said he saw an ambulance with lights flashing having to do a U turn and buses, lorries and other traffic had to turn into Prospect Road.

A spokesperson for Herts Highways said earlier this year the roundabout had been resurfaced and their workmen have had to return to carry out remedial works.

She said: "We had put up signs indicating work was going to take place on June 17. The work started at 8pm for four hours, which is a time that we consider off-peak. The work could not take place later as this is a residential area."

But county councillor Chris White said he and other county councillors were not informed and the signage was quite inadequate.

He said: "I feel this is yet another example of Herts Highways losing their grip. This could have had a potentially disastrous effect especially where an ambulance is concerned.