I think it is now time to re-appraise how works are carried out on the extremely important Spur Road (Lizards 1, drivers 0, Daily Echo, November 17).

Firstly, round the clock and weekend working should be introduced immediately to minimise the length of time any given section is closed.

Secondly, cones should be removed during peak periods to avoid the jams we are currently experiencing. In the evening peak there is absolutely no work going on at present.

Presumably nobody involved in planning this work has heard of floodlights!

Also, the coned sections should be far shorter than at present.

Has anybody really thought about the additional costs that the traffic chaos causes in extra petrol consumption, work time lost and the increase in carbon emissions caused by thousands of cars either stopped or moving at walking pace? And all for a few reptiles which, unless the Spur Road is going to be widened to three lanes next year, would have survived anyway.

Finally I do hope that work will continue over the Christmas period, including the bank holidays when business traffic is quieter, because if they can do so on the railways (Southampton tunnel and many other sites inconveniencing thousands) then it can be done on the Spur Road as well.

Tony Cousins, Horton Road, Ashley Heath