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29
Jan
Junction set to close for eight weeks as part of Kex Gill road scheme
A junction on the A59 at Blubberhouses looks set to close for eight weeks as part of work to create a new road at Kex Gill.
The Stray Ferret revealed this month the 4.2-kilometre section of road is due to open on June 3.
North Yorkshire Council is spending £82.5 million on the scheme because landslips have caused the frequent closure of the current route, which is the main east-west link between Harrogate and Skipton.
With work entering its final phase, the junction of the A59 and Church Hill at Blubberhouses is expected to close for eight weeks between February and April.
The junction, which is commonly used by motorists travelling to Otley and Ilkley, is next to the Fewston Reservoir car park.
Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said:
Work has now begun to connect the neighbouring roads to the new road, including the infrastructure that is required. A key part of this phase is improving the Church Hill junction. This will include reducing the gradient, increasing visibility, as well as improving access to the Blubberhouses car park, making it easier for Fewston Reservoir visitors.
Maintenance work is currently taking place on the River Washburn bridge, just after the Hardisty Hill junction.
Mr Battersby said:
“The structure is showing signs of age, so we're taking the opportunity to strengthen and repair it now as part of the wider realignment scheme, avoiding any future disruption. This work is expected to take approximately six to eight weeks and is being carried out under two way traffic lights.”
Sir Julian Smith, the Conservative MP whose Skipton and Ripon constituency includes the road, said there would also be overnight closures on the A59 to complete resurfacing activities. The dates have not been announced.
Sir Julian said:
The Kex Gill project is an important investment to make the A59 safer and more reliable for everyone who uses it. When the work is finished, it should mean fewer closures, smoother journeys, and better access for local residents, visitors and businesses. Whilst I understand residents' concerns about further disruption as the project continues, it is encouraging to see how much progress has been made.
He added he had written to the council “to press for additional engagement with local businesses as the project reaches completion".
Kex Gill is the biggest construction scheme ever undertaken by the council. The cost rose from £68.8 million last year to £82.5 million. The Department for Transport contributed a fixed sum of £56.1 million, which meant local council taxpayers had to foot the extra £13.7 million required.
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