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09
Nov
Four new crossings planned for busy Harrogate junction — but tip queues won't be tackled
A £350,000 scheme to make it safer for pedestrians to cross one of Harrogate’s busiest roads is expected to go ahead this winter, with motorists facing around seven weeks of disruption.
North Yorkshire Council plans to install four pedestrian crossings near the junction of Wetherby Road and Railway Road, close to the large Sainsbury’s store.
But the scheme will not include a slip road to ease queues of vehicles waiting to enter Harrogate’s household waste recycling centre — a longstanding frustration for motorists using Wetherby Road.
The Stray Ferret revealed last year that improvements to the junction were being considered.
Further details have now emerged following an informal public consultation, which ran from September 14 to October 4.
The council says the proposals are designed to address safety concerns about the existing crossing arrangements and encourage more people to walk.
It said:
Providing formal pedestrian crossings at this junction has been a longstanding aspiration. The council has received requests for improvements from residents, ward councillors and through the local MP's office over a number of years, but sufficient funding has not previously been available.
The £350,000 figure represents the maximum project budget rather than the expected final construction cost.
Of this, £180,000 will come from national government funding through Active Travel England, with the remainder provided by the council's traffic signals budget.
The household waste recycling centre off Wetherby Road.
No slip road to tackle tip queues
However, motorists hoping the project would also address queues for the household waste recycling centre will be disappointed.
The council has ruled out including a slip road into the tip, saying the funding has been awarded specifically for improvements to the pedestrian crossing arrangements and cannot be used for that purpose.
It also warned that building a slip road would be complicated by the need to acquire land from the Stray and provide suitable replacement land under the Stray Act.
The council said:
Widening the highway to accommodate a slip road would require the acquisition of Stray Land and the provision of suitable replacement land in accordance with the Stray Act. This is a complex process which would introduce significant programme and delivery risks.
Council designs for the Wetherby Road and Railway Road junction upgrade.
Seven weeks of disruption expected
The project will also not include improvements to the junction for cyclists, with the council citing cost considerations. However, it has indicated that cycling improvements could be considered in the future.
Construction is expected to take around seven weeks, although a contractor has not yet been appointed.
The scheme is due to be completed by March 31 next year.
The council acknowledged that some disruption would be unavoidable while the work takes place.
It said the contractor would be required to phase the construction carefully and maintain traffic movements through the junction wherever possible.
Temporary traffic management, including lane restrictions and temporary traffic signals, is likely to be needed at certain stages.
Further details will be provided before construction begins.
Harrogate Town Council is due to discuss the proposals at a meeting on Wednesday, November 11.
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