Neighbours in a village north of Reading have complained about being abused while having to direct drivers themselves due to 'traffic chaos' caused by a gas leak.
Gas company SGN closed a stretch of the A4074, the main road between Reading and Oxford, to conduct emergency repairs on Wednesday, August 26.
While there was a diversion, many drivers used Tokers Green Lane to get to and from Caversham.
Photos shared by neighbours in Tokers Green show a lorry, other large vehicles and cars struggling to negotiate the narrow lanes.
Natasha Arkell said: “A couple of weeks ago, the A4074 road from Oxford to Caversham was closed due to a gas leak.
“During this time, diversions have been dire, with many cars and HGVs passing through a small rural community.
“Residents in Tokers Green have witnessed cars and property being driven into (with the culprits then driving off), HGVs getting stuck on a road that is clearly not suitable for them, cars driving into bins to get past and then leaving them spilled over in the middle of the road, and many have been shouted at and abused by angry drivers and HGVs when trying to help or divert traffic - which is absolutely disgusting.
“The lane is not suitable for the amount of traffic it is currently dealing with, plus speeding cars and delivery vehicles.”
She criticised Oxfordshire County Council for the handling of the situation, but a spokesperson later clarified that SGN was responsible for traffic management.
Mrs Arkell said: “The diversions put in place are poorly signposted and don't seem to take into account the community I live in, and many drivers are ignoring them.
“Many residents have tried to get in touch with the council and road management to improve the scheme with little to no success.
We need signs that say “not suitable for HGVs” and, even better, a better diversion put in place to appease the anger of drivers who are getting stuck down the lane and then screaming at residents.
“More and more cars are using a small, what used to be a single-track lane, as a rat run.
“The road has been damaged, branches are falling off trees, and there is no care from people who do not live here.”
A diversion route was in place through Sonning Common, utilising Peppard Road.
Meanwhile, the X40 bus between Oxford and Reading was diverted via Henley.
The A4074 was reopened some time after 4pm on Thursday, September 10.
A spokesperson for SGN said: “We have been working on an emergency repair at the A4074 at Mapledurham following a leak on our gas main. To do this safely, we had to close the road.
“We will return on Monday next week (September 14) to replace a section of our gas main at this location to avoid the need for emergency repairs involving a road closure in the future.
“We always work closely with the local highways authority to put the most suitable diversion routes in place during road closures.
“We recognise that some motorists, including heavy goods vehicles, did not follow the official diversion, and we’re genuinely sorry for the disruption and inconvenience this caused.”
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