TRAFFIC chaos hit Lowestoft again this morning as the scheduled maintenance work on the bascule bridge overran for the second day in a row.The south side of the town was turned into a huge car park with traffic queued back through Carlton Colville and as far as Rookery Park Golf Club as people tried to follow the diversion through Oulton Broad.

TRAFFIC chaos hit Lowestoft again this morning as the scheduled maintenance work on the bascule bridge overran for the second day in a row.

The south side of the town was turned into a huge car park with traffic queued back through Carlton Colville and as far as Rookery Park Golf Club as people tried to follow the diversion through Oulton Broad. While many others decided their best bet was to drive as close to the bascule bridge as possible and sit and wait for it to be opened up to traffic again.

It was due to be opened to traffic at 6am but after three hours of delay it was finally clear again for vehicles to pass at 9.10am.

This delay saw traffic chaos descend on the town once more, just 24 hours after similar delays clogged up the town's roads, leaving motorists late for work and appointments

The Highways Agency were this morning offering apologies for the problems but could not guarantee there would be no similar problems tomorrow when the bridge is due to be closed again tonight from 8pm until 6am.

The news is another blip in a series of blunders to do with the £2.3m maintenance project.

Originally scheduled for completion last December, work is expected to run until at least mid autumn.

Last week the Highways Agency, which is overseeing the project, announced that the overall number of closures to the bridge had been reduced by five nights.

The agency had predicted 37 overnight closures between the latter part of May and end of September to finish the work, which will now be 32.

Visit www.highways.gov.uk for further details or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30.