WHO would be a driver in Derby these days – or a business owner in beleaguered London Road for that matter?
On today's front page, and for the second time in the space of four days, we report on more misery on our roads.
On Wednesday, we revealed how a hapless contractor had struck a water pipe, causing 11 miles of gridlock, affecting the personal lives of thousands of people who, as a result, were forced to miss appointments, meetings, exams or be late for work.
Today, motorists have been hit with a double whammy with the news that the city's London Road bridge could be shut for four months longer than expected. This, bear in mind, is on top of the original 12-month closure. How businesses in the area are managing to keep going in already tough times is amazing.
This latest delay does beg the question: why?
Well, in a rather woolly excuse lacking any real detail, a spokesman for Network Rail – which is in charge of the work– put it down to issues with the design and build of the bridge and the supply of the steel required.
We don't profess to be experts on bridge-building but 16 months to sort that out does seem to be a remarkable length of time. After all, motorway bridges are often replaced overnight.
New city council leader Ranjit Banwait professes himself "extremely disappointed" but adds the work has been complex because of the many underground pipes that have had to be redirected.
He warns that contractors will be pressed hard to get the job done and says the council is looking at what penalties it can impose for the delays.
If that does turn out to be possible, it should start by forcing whoever is at fault to compensate the beleaguered businesses of London Road.
