Three Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's deputies were tied up directing traffic at the intersection of Bouquet and Soledad canyon roads for several hours today after the signals there malfunctioned and turned to blinking red.

"This is a major nightmare for us," one Sheriff's Department official said. Because of the intersection's complexity, it takes three deputies to direct traffic there, he said.

The signals went on the blink around 10 a.m. and were repaired several hours later.