MOTORISTS and businessmen caught up in Traffic chaos today appealed for action to end the congestion which has seen vehicles sitting in a mile-long jam.

New traffic lights at the junction of Copy Nook and Higher Audley Street near Blackburn town centre have caused major hold-ups in morning and evening rush hours.

And motorists also say they have become trapped in heavy traffic throughout the day, along Copy Nook, Burnley Road and Whitebirk, and local traders claiming people have been forced to change their route.

Traffic chiefs today said the new lights are not the problem and traffic queues have been caused by temporary lights set up at road works to strengthen the bridge at Eanam over the Leeds and Liverpool canal -- and they are due to remain until April.

And the AA said the problem had been made worse because the roadwork traffic lights had not been phased in with existing traffic lights.

AA Roadwatch, which monitors traffic jams across the country, warned motorists to expect delays at peak times. The AA's Jon Milligan said: "Our advice would be to avoid Barbara Castle Way and surrounding roads because every rush hour things get clogged up."

Local businessman Mike Ashworth whose Insight computer company is in nearby Harwood Street, said he has been forced to drive around the town during the mornings in a bid to avoid the jams.

He said: "From the second they switched on the lights the traffic was backed right up. It's chaos.

"It's about time they admitted they have made a mess of this and switched them off."

He said: "Now I have changed my route, but of course it drives people into areas that are residential and takes the problem to other people."

Adam Patel, who runs Adam's Private Hire taxi firm, said it was damaging his business as drivers found they took twice as long to make journeys.

Mr Patel, who has been running his taxi firm for 20 years, said: "All the private hire firms are being affected by this."

Health workers at the Larkhill Health Centre said they had had serious problems both getting in to work and getting out on visits to patients in their homes. Blackburn's fire boss Station Officer Kevin Gibson said: "I can imagine it would be a problem getting engines out.

"There were tailbacks when I drove into town in my private car the other day."

Spokesmen for Blackburn police and Blackburn Ambulance Service both said they had not experienced any problems.

The lights were installed as part of a safety scheme following 60 injury accidents in the Copy Nook area, many at the junction of Higher Eanam and Higher Audley Street.

They also form part of the council's scheme to reduce the number of cars heading into the town centre and divert them on to the orbital route.

Graham Cowley, assistant director of technical services said the council is strengthening bridges throughout the borough to make them suitable for modern-day traffic needs.

He said: "The scale of work involved with the current scheme at Eanam canal bridge requires a lane closure.

He said: "It is anticipated that the works will be completed by the middle of April.

"Any temporary inconvenience being experienced by motorists is regretted but the works will form part of a substantial investment for the future."