A fictional highways department has acknowledged a rare increase in public satisfaction after a road obstruction turned out to be cheese-flavoured snacks rather than another set of cones with no apparent relationship to any work.
Motorists initially complained about the delay, then requested information about the distribution of seasoning across the affected lanes.
The traffic bulletin advised using an alternative route. Several drivers asked whether that route also contained cheese balls or merely led to the place they were supposed to be going.
A fictional commuter described the event as the first unexpected motorway service offering in years that had not charged extra for the size of the car park. He was firmly reminded not to enter the road or collect anything from it.
The department's communications team struggled to classify the incident. It was neither a vehicle breakdown nor a conventional spill, and the phrase carriageway buffet was rejected after attracting too much interest.
A proposed clean-up contract was challenged by a bidder who argued that the work could be undertaken more cheaply by holding a meeting in the middle of it and telling participants lunch was provided.
The road reopened once the snacks were cleared. Traffic returned to normal, leaving drivers free to resume their usual practice of queuing towards food that costs more than the journey.
