ROADS bosses are under fire over a 50-mile detour for work to be carried out on a stretch of road measuring just 800 metres.

Scotland TranServ chiefs have ordered a £243,000 resurfacing job on the main A78 Inverclyde artery and declared that motorists must negotiate a diversion route which takes in Beith in North Ayrshire.

Around an hour-and-a-half will be added to journey times during the week-long programme of works and furious drivers have slammed the lack of a contraflow system to avoid the 'wholly unnecessary hassle'.

Gordon Darroch — whose wife Maura has multiple sclerosis — said: "I'm faced with a 100-mile round trip to get to my work and I need to be back at a reasonable time to care for my wife as well.

"I've contacted TranServ and it's been like talking to a brick wall - the decision's been made and that's that, but no thought has gone into it at all and it's just not good enough.

"How much of a problem would it be to have a simple contraflow, or even temporary traffic lights in place."

The work is set to begin on Monday on the short stretch of road between Bankfoot and Inverkip and will be carried out over a period of seven nights between 8pm and 6am 'to keep disruption to an absolute minimum'.

But Mr Darroch, 53, who lives in Inverkip, said: "I set off for work in Port Glasgow at 5.30am, so I can't avoid the detour, and there are many other people in the same position.

"To have such a diversion route in place for work to such a small stretch of the road is overkill and I've taken it up with Ronnie Cowan MP.

"I'm not letting this go and the idiocy of this decision has to be highlighted."

Another Telegraph reader, who declined to be named, said: "What happens if an ambulance on an emergency call out has to get through? Will someone who is maybe in a life-threatening position have to wait until paramedics get around the detour?"

The woman added: "There are a lot of people who require visits from carers, so they will obviously now just have to wait for theirs carers to get through to them. It's ludicrous — a wholly unnecessary hassle."

Another driver asked: "Are Scotland Transerv going to pay my fuel bills for having to take the diversion?"

Scotland TranServ say that they consulted the community over the programme.

A spokesman said: "We work with local authorities, community groups, politicians and stakeholders in the scheduling of our works. As such, community representatives requested that we move the timing of this programme earlier this year and agreed on the revised plan.

"Key stakeholders are consulted on diversion routes and advise of suitability for all vehicle types. The local community however may know alternative routes."

The spokesman added: "Special arrangements are made for emergency vehicles to pass through our works, and on this occasion this is also the case for local bus services. The trunk road is too narrow at this section to safely accommodate alternative traffic management systems, all of which have been considered. The health and safety of our workers and the travelling public is of paramount concern.

"We have taken every possible action to keep disruption to a minimum during this essential programme of work."

Inverclyde MP Ronnie Cowan confirmed he had been contacted by Inverkip residents about the road closure and said it appears to be 'causing much frustration'.

He said: "I can fully appreciate the concerns of local residents who need access to the A78 to get to and from work.

"I have since raised concerns with both Transport Scotland and TranServ to ask what proposals are in place for the closure and what diversions residents of Wemyss Bay and Inverkip west are expected to take when travelling throughout Inverclyde."