YORK city centre became totally gridlocked last night when engineers started drainage work too early.

Huge tailbacks were reported along two of the city's main thoroughfares, Hull Road and Fulford Road, during yesterday's rush hour, which backed traffic right back into the heart of the city.

Hundreds of frustrated motorists, including commuters and tourists, suffered delays of more than an hour and bus passengers were left standing at stops.

One motorist took nearly two hours to get from the city centre to Escrick.

City of York Council chiefs launched an investigation today into why Yorkshire Water engineers started work to repair a drain in Fulford Road during the rush hour and not during off-peak hours, which was the main reason for the gridlock.

A council spokeswoman said: "This caused a real problem in Fulford and left the Fishergate gyratory completely gridlocked.

This caused the entire system to suffer and led to traffic backing up elsewhere.

"Traffic flow wasn't back to normal until around 7.30pm."

First spokesman Peter Edwards said the congestion caused "chaos" to their bus services which ran up to an hour later than normal.

"Once the traffic backed up to the Barbican and Foss Islands Road there was nothing moving," he said.

"We had people waiting in town for buses that were completely stuck in traffic.

"It really was a pretty exceptional set of circumstances and pretty chaotic."

Commuter Kath Smith said it took nearly one-and-a-half hours to get from Walmgate to her home in Dringhouses.

"It was absolutely horrendous," she said.

"Traffic was queuing right up to the Winning Post in Bishopthorpe Road."

The council spokeswoman said the roads were busier than normal anyway

because of the half-term break, the good weather and events taking place at the city's National Railway Museum.

"The city's highways are normally running just under capacity and it doesn't take many more vehicles to trigger delays," she said.

"That's what happened yesterday.

"While there is no short-term fix. The council is doing everything it can to encourage people to use alternative forms of transport, such as walking, cycling and public transport."

A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Water said today: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we are investigating the matter."

Updated: 10:09 Wednesday, October 27, 2004