Roadworks woe is continuing to frustrate motorists in Gorleston making them late for appointments, school, and work.

The main gateway entrance to the town has been hit by a cluster of schemes, part of a £1.9m package of improvements that has been broadly welcomed.

The East of England Ambulance Service said the road works a the James Paget Hospital were having an impact and that a new access had been opened up to ensure patients could be taken into A&E as quickly as possible.

The project is focused on:

•Improving the traffic lights at the Lowestoft Road and Bridge Road and Lowestoft Road and Kennedy Avenue junctions

•Upgrading the Lowestoft Road and Kennedy Avenue pedestrian crossing so that it is suitable for cyclists too

•Resurfacing Lowestoft Road between the Victoria roundabout and Beaufort Way, while also installing traffic lights on the Beaufort Way roundabout, •Replacing signs and installing a new central reservation safety barrier on the A47 between Gorleston and Hopton.

People are being asked to allow an extra ten minutes for their journeys but anecdotal evidence points to much longer delays with other works in Trinity Avenue and Crab Lane adding to problems.

Howard Shepherdson, of Hopton, said a journey of six mintues had taken him over an hour and questioned the wisdom of putting traffic lights at the roundabout.

But just how bad is it?

Today our reporter drove the route from Great Yarmouth, along Beccles Road, down the new link road to the Links Road roundabout, passing the James Paget Hospital and back via the inner relief road.

She set off around 9am and the whole journey took around 22 minutes with few delays although it was sticky around the roadworks in Lowestoft Road.

A spokesman for the hospital said some patients were occasionally made late and there had been some delays for staff, mostly at peak times.

Meanwhile the crematorium in Oriel Avenue, Gorleston, said there had been no problems with all services running on time.

It had advised funeral directors about the works and also that Wood Farm Road was closed.

The works are due to end in early spring.