A six-week road closure affecting the circulation of traffic around Ripon city centre is now in place after being delayed over Christmas.
Workers are back on site just a month after an initial closure of the junction of Market Place East with Kirkgate, lasting two weeks.
Sewer repairs being carried out by contractors on behalf of Yorkshire Water were suspended in early December to minimise disruption to Christmas trade in the city.
The suspension also followed complaints from members of the public on social media, saying that a temporary building site with fencing and cabins on it had blocked the view of the Christmas tree in front of Ripon Town Hall.
The unfamiliar sight of a 36 bus heading in this direction out of Ripon Bus Station on its diverted route to Harrogate.
Complainants also said at the time that the placement of temporary buildings on Market Square detracted from the look of the city’s festive lights, which had been extended at an additional cost of £65,000.
The new six-week road closure is required so that urgent sewer repair and renewal works can be carried out.
With the road closure preventing traffic from turning right from Market Place East onto Market Place South, the circulatory route around Market Square is affected and a number of diversions are in place.
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Among traffic movements impacted by the closure is Transdev’s regular double decker 36 bus service to Harrogate.
To ensure that all bus stops in Ripon are served, drivers are using a circuitous route that takes in Allhallowgate, Stonebridgegate, Rotary Way and the Ripon bypass, with a right turn at the Wolseley building roundabout seeing the bus head back towards the city centre before the onward journey to Harrogate.
As Market Place West is not affected by road closures, the route into Ripon Bus Station up High Skellgate and along by the Obelisk currently remains unchanged.
Swinsty Reservoir footpath to close for 18 monthsYorkshire Water it to close a footpath at Swinsty reservoir and introduce diversions over the next 18 months as part of £6m safety works.
The reservoir, in the Washburn Valley, is a popular location for families and dog walkers in the Harrogate district.
Work on the reservoir’s east bank spillway is due to start on Monday next week and be completed by summer 2022.
The project will divert excess water from the reservoir to Lindley Wood reservoir to protect the embankment from flood erosion.
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Yorkshire Water said in a statement:
“As the route is on uneven and sometimes wet ground, it is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs – walkers are advised to wear suitable footwear and keep dogs on leads.”
Mark Allsop, customer liaison advisor at Yorkshire Water, said:
“This ensures that the reservoir can continue to play its part in supplying drinking water to the homes of millions of customers in Yorkshire.
“The investment will reinforce the structure and protect the area in the face of extreme weather.”
The water company worked with local landowners and North Yorkshire County Council to map out the footpath diversion.