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Jun 2023

Last Updated: 15/06/2023

Transport

Road closure continues after gas pipe problem found in Knaresborough

by Vicky Carr

| 15 Jun, 2023

Yorkshire Water workmen

A diversion in Knaresborough is set to remain in place until Monday after a problem was discovered with a sewage pipe.

Yorkshire Water closed Halfpenny Lane to deal with a pipe under the surface, and had planned to reopen it yesterday.

However, the work has taken longer than expected and the diversion via Boroughbridge Road and Chain Lane remains in place. A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“Unfortunately, the works on Halfpenny Lane have been delayed after we found other utilities networks in the excavation, which prevented us from completing the work safely.

“Northern Gas Networks and Northern Powergrid have been to the site to assist with their networks and carry out work to enable our teams to complete our repairs safely. We have worked closely with local council highways teams to keep disruption to a minimum and are working hard to finish the work and reopen the road as soon as possible.”

A spokesperson said the excavations revealed a gas pipe had been placed through the top of the sewage pipe.

Until the gas pipe can be moved, the hole will be filled in. Once the gas repairs have been carried out at a date to be confirmed, Yorkshire Water will return to complete the work to the sewage pipe, which is still operational.

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Meanwhile, temporary traffic lights on Boroughbridge Road have been adding to traffic problems in the area.

They are linked to a new housing development and have been in place since mid-March.

While they are due to end tomorrow, a further day of works for fibre broadband is expected to hit the road near Greengate Lane on Sunday, along with two days of resurfacing work from Tuesday morning. Both will involve temporary traffic lights.

The traffic problems caused by extensive roadworks in the area have led some residents to question why so many restrictions were allowed to be put in place at the same time.

North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director for environment, Karl Battersby, said:

“The roadworks on the A6055 have been in place for a number of weeks and are developer works as part of a new housing development and are due to be completed on Friday (June 16).

“The nearby Yorkshire Water works are emergency repairs due to a collapsed sewerage pipe that needed to be fixed immediately.

“We could not have foreseen that there would emergency works ongoing when the permit was issued for the resurfacing works on the A6055.

“We appreciate that roadworks near each other create additional delays for road users, but once the developer works are completed, it will ease the situation until Yorkshire Water can complete its emergency repairs.”

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Road closure continues after gas pipe problem found in Knaresborough

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