17
Jun
A59 to re-open at Kex Gill on Saturday
The A59 will reopen at Kex Gill on Saturday, North Yorkshire Council said today.
The Stray Ferret revealed last week the main road between Harrogate and Skipton was expected to re-open this week.
Today (June 17), the council named Saturday as the day when traffic will be able to use the entire length of the road again.
It means 122 days will have passed since the road closed suddenly on February 2 due to a landslip.
The council blamed the wet weather for the landslip, which has so far cost more than £2 million to repair.
North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said:
We thank residents and businesses for their continued patience whilst these essential works come to an end.
During the repair scheme we extended working hours to ensure the road can be reopened as soon as possible.
Our focus can now turn to the multi-million pound re-alignment project. The latest landslip proves more than ever that the scheme is essential to ensure the future of this key east-west route.
More than 85 metres of steel sheets – known as piles – have been installed to create a structural wall.
The road behind the sheet piles was then reconstructed, along with drainage works and the relocation of telephone cables.
Kex Gill sheet piling
This week will see resurfacing take place before Saturday's reopening.
Kex Gill has a history of landslips that have caused inconvenience for users of the A59, the surrounding towns and villages, and are detrimental for businesses and local farmers.
The £68.8 million re-alignment project involves the creation of a new four-kilometre stretch of road, replacing an existing part of the A59 which has been affected by the landslips.
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