FUMING motorists are facing further roadworks frustration in York following a gas leak on the inner ring road.

Huge rush-hour jams built up last night and again today after Transco closed off a lane of traffic near Skeldergate Bridge to repair a fractured main.

The dualled section on Castle Mills Bridge was already more congested than normal because of extra motorists crossing town to avoid jams caused by the A64 roadworks at Copmanthorpe.

More rush hour chaos was expected tonight and tomorrow morning after Transco said today it aimed to complete the work by tomorrow (fri) lunchtime.

The congestion is being made worse by another set of roadworks in Piccadilly involving Northern Electric, which have forced the closure of a lane of traffic at the approach to Castle Mills Bridge.

Meanwhile, yet more roadworks are to take place next week at Mill Lane in Heworth, starting on Monday (22nd).

The busy link road between Layerthorpe and Heworth Green will be completely closed between Wednesday and Friday (October 24 and 26) for re-surfacing and the reconstruction of existing speed cushions and speed table.

A diversion will send traffic along either Heworth Road or Foss Bank/St Maurice's Road.

Some motorists complained today that city centre congestion was being exacerbated by traffic censuses conducted this morning by City of York Council in Fulford Road and Hull Road.

"What a ridiculous time to carry out a census when the traffic is already terrible," said one angry driver who rang the Evening Press to complain. But the council has defended the censuses, saying they are essential to know what is happening so as to improve conditions for motorists in the future.

Transco said today it had identified the leak on Castle Mills Bridge and repaired the main, but more engineering work was needed before the road could be reinstated and reopened to traffic - probably by tomorrow lunchtime.

The congestion over the past fortnight has badly affected the Evening Press, managing director Daphne Ellis said today.

She said it had hit our ability to meet delivery times to customers, as well as affecting sales staff trying to get to appointments on time and reporters and photographers trying to get to stories.

Traffic problems were not helped in Hull Road last night by a fire in an unused building on the York St John College site, off Hull Road.

Firefighters were called out at 4.40pm and a hosepipe was connected across the main road to a water main as firefighters succeeded in preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby disused buildings.

Police and fire service officers are investigating the cause of the blaze, with York fire station Sub Officer Dave Ashman saying arson could be one possibility.

The college's estates manager Brian Royce said the two-storey building had not been used for some years and had previously been a tutorial block used by the rural science department.

The site is now in the process of being sold to Next Generation Clubs, who are to develop it into a tennis centre.

Updated: 10:47 Thursday, October 18, 2001