25
Aug
New road at Kex Gill opens to traffic
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A new road in North Yorkshire has finally opened to traffic — more than a year later than scheduled and £13.7 over budget.
The majority of the new 4.2-kilometre route at Kex Gill, which has replaced a section of road repeatedly affected by landslips, opened today (August 25) following the largest highways project ever undertaken by North Yorkshire Council.
However, work is still taking place on the tie-ins with the old road, which means traffic lights are expected to remain at either end of the new road until at least October.
The new road, which connects Harrogate and Skipton, is part of the A59, which is a key strategic route linking the east and west of England.
The cost has risen by £13.7 million from £68.8 million to £82.5 million. The Department for Transport has provided the majority of funding.
Cllr Malcolm Taylor, the council's executive member for highways and transportation, said:
This is a moment that we have been aiming for throughout such a complex and detailed highways project. It will bring major benefits for communities in the county as well as across the North of England as it is such an important route.
The scheme is the largest we have undertaken as a council, and there have been significant challenges to create the new road in such a remote location in often extremely poor weather conditions. But the opening of the new road is testament to the dedication, tenacity and hard work of everyone involved in ensuring this project has become a reality.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Malcolm Taylor, right, is pictured with Lauren Luck, a regional engineer at the contractors involved in the Kex Gill realignment project, Sisk Infrastructure, on the new stretch of the A59.
The council said the previous route of the A59 at Kex Gill has suffered 15 landslips since 2000, resulting in more than £6 million of repair costs and repeated closures.
A 30mph speed restriction is in place while remaining works to the tie-ins are completed. Two of the three lanes of the new section of the A59, which includes a crawler lane for slow-moving traffic, will be available for motorists to use until all elements of the scheme are finished.
More than 12,700 native trees have been planted across the site, and there are new routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, together with four kilometres of natural stone walls that complement the character of the Nidderdale National Landscape.
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