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Search the Public Notice PortalWork on a long-awaited pedestrian crossing had to be abandoned the day after it started when it triggered traffic gridlock near major superstores.
People were caught in lengthy jams because of the work to install a double toucan crossing on William Frost Way at Longwater Retail Park.
The work, to put in a crossing between Aldi and Sainsbury's, started on the evening of Wednesday, July 9, with lane closures on the road. The work was due to last for nine weeks.
But the lane closures meant shoppers and people living on the Queen's Hills estate in Costessey were caught up in the jams, with some saying they had been stuck for 40 minutes or more.
One person said on Facebook: "At three o'clock it was queued back to Queen's Hill estate, took us 40 minutes too from Queen's Hill School to the bypass."
Less than 24 hours after the work began, Norfolk County Council intervened and ordered the work to be suspended.
A council spokesperson said: "This project is a developer scheme, rather than work being carried out by the county council, but our role is to ensure that works are delivered safely, whilst keeping traffic flowing.
"It quickly became clear last week that the traffic management in place was causing unacceptable delays so we instructed the developer's contractor to pause works and reinstate both traffic lanes.
"Discussions with all parties regarding how best to deliver the scheme are still currently ongoing and revised traffic management plans will be communicated before work resumes."
However, the council confirmed it had approved the original traffic management plan.
Asked why the impact of the lane closures had not been anticipated at that point, a spokesman said: "The impact to traffic and congestion in the area was far greater than anticipated.
"As soon as this became apparent we asked for works to pause for a review so that we can minimise disruption to drivers."
Sharon Blundell, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Costessey, said it had caused frustration, particularly for people living in Queen's Hills, where the road is the only way to get to and from the estate.
She said: "It was fine in the morning, when people went to work, but at about 11am it just all went wrong and people were stuck in queues.
"I phoned the council and said that it just wasn't working as it should, which is when they suspended the work.
"They've had to cover up a hole which had been dug.
"I have requested that maybe they could carry out the work in the night-time, rather than they day, but I don't think that's going to happen."
The construction of the crossing had itself been at the centre of a long-running legal wrangle.
Supermarket chain Aldi and housing developer Persimmon had been at loggerheads over which of them was liable to build it, before an agreement was reached for it to be a joint project.
The scheme is connected to planning permissions for new homes in Easton and the Aldi store at Longwater.
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