A lorry driver who lost control on the A59 at Blubberhouses on Tuesday was three times over the drink-drive limit.

Jacek Borowski, 51, from Poland lost control of his HGV heading down the hill.

His vehicle blocked the road completely for most of the day, causing significant disruption on the main route between Harrogate and Skipton.

Nobody else was involved or injured.

The lorry blocked the road for most of the day.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today Borowski had been banned within 24 hours of the incident. It added:

“Officers breathalysed the driver who blew 92 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milligrams of breath – almost three times the legal limit.

“He was remanded into custody immediately and put before York Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 19 April where he pleaded guilty to driving over the prescribed limit and was disqualified from driving for 23 months.”

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Traffic problems are expected this week when the principal route to and from two of the Harrogate district’s busiest business parks is closed for two days.

Between 7.30am and 5.30pm on Thursday and Friday, an eight-tenths of a mile section of Melmerby Green Lane, between the A61 and Barker Business Park, will be shut for carriageway repairs.

The daytime work on those days presents a huge headache for heavy goods vehicle drivers because the so-far un-signed detour route from both business parks will inevitably mean drivers will have to turn left towards the village of Melmerby on a road which has a 7.5 ton weight limit on it.

The weight limit sign on the approaches to Melmerby

HGV drivers making deliveries at both business parks were scratching their heads when the Stray Ferret visited. One said:

“I haven’t a clue where the diversion route will take me, but if I have to turn left and head towards Melmerby, the size of my lorry means I will have to break the weight limit.”

Another HGV driver said:

“This is a crazy situation, Thursdays and Fridays are two of the busiest days of the week for deliveries.

“Why couldn’t they have planned the roadworks at night, like they did with the work on the Ripon bypass bridge?”

North Yorkshire County Council’s highways team, says:

“Drivers will be able to follow a diversion route to avoid Melmerby Green Lane while the work is in progress and there will also be advance notifications on the A1.”

Within 100 yards of the Potter Space business park is the weight limit sign

NYCC’s highways area manager Melisa Burnham, said:

“We appreciate there will be some disruption involved and have done everything possible to minimise that, with a fully-signed diversion and advance warnings on the A1, particularly aimed at HGV drivers who may be heading to the business park.

“We are pleased to be carrying out work on Melmerby Green Lane and the road will be safer and better to use when it is complete.

More information is available on the roadworks map at www.northyorks.gov.uk/roadworks-map

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