The traffic lights at the intersection of Charles and Elizabeth streets stopped working on Christmas Day, and the repair could potentially take until Wednesday to complete.

It is understood that the main traffic control box was destroyed and will be expensive and cumbersome to replace.

Police said that although they were unaware the traffic light failure had been the cause of any crashes, pedestrians were having difficulty crossing the intersection.

Police advised motorists to treat it as a normal intersection and give way to the right, with pedestrians being advised to cross the road elsewhere when it is busy.