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27
Nov 2023
Workmen steam ahead with Ripon city centre roadworks
North Yorkshire Council highway engineers and other workmen have been out in force in Ripon city centre today.
Engineers started three days of trial works to discover what exactly lies beneath the surface of the Market Place East and West roads.
Meanwhile, a council colleague was eradicating weeds and grass around the base of the obelisk and poking out of the joints between the paving sets on the southern half of Market Square.
He told the Stray Ferret the environmentally friendly means being used to rid the monument and square of unsightly growths is a combination of potato starch and steam, previously used for weed clearance in Harrogate's Valley Gardens.
The trial works began on Market Place East this morning.
Deeper down under the cracked and uneven block paving roads adjacent to Market Square, engineers are carrying out tests to find out more about their foundations, so that a scheme can be drawn up for comprehensive tarmac resurfacing costing £630,000 works to go ahead next October.
The trial work is scheduled to last until Wednesday and while it is ongoing each road will be kept open but reduced to a single lane, meaning traffic disruption and delays are likely.
North Yorkshire Council said in a statement:
Main picture: A council workman uses starch and steam to clear weeds on Market Square South.
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