jams in Paget and in the City.

Emergency roadwork by Bermuda Electric Light Co. on Harbour Road between Lover's Lane and Highwood Road and the closure of Front Street for Harbour Nights caused extensive delays for people trying to leave Hamilton.

Traffic was packed tightly and tempers were flaring as cars were still moving slowly in Hamilton at 6.30 p.m. last night.

Drivers reported "ridiculous'' delays of an hour to get from Tee Street, Devonshire to the Paget stop lights and from the junction of Reid and Queen Street to Cedar Avenue.

Police were reported to be on duty directing traffic to sort out the delays which may continue in this morning's rush hour.

The work to repair a fault in an underground high voltage transmission cable feeding power to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital began at 9.15 yesterday morning and was expected to last 24 hours.

Bus Driver Gregory Simons said it took an hour for him to drive from the Flagpole on Front Street to the Hamilton Bus Terminal.

"It's been backed up since 3 p.m. this afternoon,'' Mr. Simons said. "It's a one-way going westward. Just think an hour from Front Street. It's a two-minute drive.'' Mr. Simons, who admitted he was "frustrated'' by the delay, added: "I bet you could walk from town to Paget stop lights faster than you can drive!'' His supervisor, Roderick Simons said he had still not seen the arrival of buses an hour after they were supposed to arrive.

"My drivers have been complaining all afternoon,'' he said. "I'm still waiting for some of my drivers from the west end.'' Pat Lake said she was waiting for friends for a meeting but had not seen her colleagues for more than a half an hour after the scheduled start.

"Whether they called for me and missed me I don't know but I'm not moving anyway, at least until the traffic flows more freely,'' she said.

"People have been kicking up,'' Mrs. Lake said. "Most people are dying to get home. But even now at 7.30 p.m. traffic is still moving slowly.'' A man -- who would only give his name as Michael -- said traffic jams of epic proportion "seem to be a regular Bermuda happening''.

He added he only heard of the roadwork while in last evening's jam and complained it could have been announced sooner if it were possible.

He added: "I thought it was an accident. I've been up and back and only now is it clearing.'' And a taxi driver, having just dropped off in Hamilton tourists from a Southampton hotel said it took him more than an hour to make the 20-minute run.

"It's hectic out there,'' he said. "I tried to come into town at 4 p.m.

which I thought would get me out early before the traffic. But it was very, very heavy out there.''