Melton residents have questioned the purpose of a new multimillion-pound A-road, as they say passing lorries still shake their houses every day.
Officials from County Hall opened Pork Pie Way, a new 7km route around the town of Melton, earlier this year.
The bypass, which came at a cost of £131m, was designed to divert traffic away from the town centre.
However, many residents on Burton Road say they are still affected by a constant stream of lorries despite the new road being built.
David Curran has urged neighbours to take action with local authorities, including Leicestershire County Council and Leicestershire Police.
He feels HGVs are using Burton Road as a shortcut through the town rather than taking the new bypass.
He said: “For too long, these large trucks have been driving 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through Melton and up and down Burton Road, and they have been making our houses shake every time they drive past our homes.
“It is even worse at night, with these vehicles very often driving at excessive speeds, making the noise levels pretty unbearable.
“I believe the new road cost over £130m to build, and if it is not being used to its full capacity, then we have to ask: have we wasted taxpayers’ money on building a road that is not being used by the very road users we need to use it?”
The promise of the new bypass had eased neighbour Carrieann Silverwood’s traffic concerns when she moved to the area.
She said: “But since Pork Pie Way opened, I don’t think it’s improved at all. You hear lorries coming through in the middle of the night – you can hear them and feel them. What was the point?”
The new bypass currently circles only the east side of Melton. Plans for a full ring road stalled several years ago when rising inflation meant the county council could not afford to complete the £70m extension.
A resident of Burton Road for more than 40 years, John McQuaid visited the bypass when it first opened.
He said: “Melton, over the years, has become clogged. The new bypass is a lovely job, but it’s an incomplete job.
“What we’re angry about is that it’s not a completed project. So we have this awkward route where there’s no escape.”
A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: “National Highways is currently carrying out resurfacing work between Foston and Little Ponton, which requires overnight closures of the A1 southbound carriageway between Barrowby and Harlaxton from 1 July to 14 July 2026, between 8:00pm and 6:00am each night.
“We are working closely with National Highways to ensure its diversion signage is updated during the closures to encourage drivers to use Pork Pie Way.
“Pork Pie Way opened in May and provides a direct route around Melton. It can also carry vehicles diverted from the A1 during planned closures and incidents.
“The route provides a reliable alternative, helping to keep traffic away from smaller local roads and residential areas.
“As with any major new road, it can take time for driver behaviour and route-planning systems to adapt.
“We will continue to monitor traffic patterns and review feedback from residents to ensure drivers are making full use of the new route.”
By Caitlin James, Local Democracy Reporter