Knaresborough junction set for four weeks of roadworks

Drivers are warned to expect delays in Knaresborough for the next four weeks as roadworks start today.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place on the junction of Chain Lane, Wetherby Road and York Road.

North Yorkshire County Council is carrying out remedial work and replacing the kerbs at the junction.

Work will start today, May 3, and last for four weeks.

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The move comes after the road recently had temporary traffic lights for two weeks while Northern Gas Networks carried out work on the junction.

The gas distributor for the north of England replaced metal pipes with newer plastic versions.

It said in a press release the work would “ensure a safe and reliable supply of gas to customers now while getting the network ready to transport alternative greener fuels such as hydrogen in the future”.

A1(M) junction 47 upgrade at Flaxby completed

Long-term work to upgrade junction 47 on the A1(M) at Flaxby has now been completed.

The project, to improve infrastructure before more houses are built in Knaresborough and Green Hammerton, is at least £2.3 million over budget and took seven months longer to complete than planned.

The original budget was £7 million. This had increased to £10 million by September and the final cost has yet to be revealed.

The A59 corridor has been identified in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, as an area of rapid increase in residential and business growth.

Work on the junction began in September 2020 and this week became fully operational. The traffic lights have been switched on for the first time and all lanes are now open.

Three of the four slip roads, on and off the roundabout, have been widened to increase capacity.

Traffic signals are now in place on the roundabout to manage traffic flow and a T-junction has been added between the A168 and A59 to help drivers on the York side turning onto the A59.

A lane has been added to the west of junction 47 between the A1 and Flaxby roundabout so there will be two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.

Rapid growth

Barrie Mason, North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for highways and transportation, said the rapid growth in the area meant the works were essential.

He said:

“This important scheme has the aim of supporting the future growth and prosperity of Harrogate and Knaresborough. We anticipate significant residential and commercial development along the A59 corridor, resulting in many more people using this key link road.”

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The council attributed the delays to the discovery of great crested newts, which must be legally relocated, covid and poor ground conditions.

Mr Mason added the traffic lights will need to be monitored to ensure the timings are right and reduce queueing. He has asked motorists to be patients whilst the final adjustments are made.

The project has been supported by £2.47m from the government’s Local Growth Fund, secured by York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, along with contributions from the county council, National Highways and developer Forward Investment LLP.

David Dickson, chair of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership infrastructure and joint assets board, said:

“This project is a real boost for the York and North Yorkshire economy. By improving east-west connectivity, the much improved junction unlocks the opportunity for further economic growth across the region.”

Traffic and Travel Alert: Roadworks on Wetherby Road, before Woodlands traffic lights, have closed a section of lane and caused delays into town

Roadworks to the new Leon Harrogate site are causing delays after a section of Wetherby Road had to be closed.

Due to works on the pavement and tree removal, a section of the lane Macham Close and Hookstone Drive has been closed.

The works are set to continue until June 19.

The new Leon Harrogate, just before the Woodlands traffic lights, was formally a dental surgery and although previously earmarked to be a Starbuck drive-thru is will a Leon, described as a healthy fast food chain.

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Month-long roadworks begin near Birstwith this morning with a road closure on Darley Road

Northern Gas Networks is carrying out roadworks on a section of road north of Birstwith from today for the next month.

The works to repair and replace pipes begin today and are expected to finish on May 20.

A section of Darley Road, heading north out of Birstwith, is closed with drivers having to take a diversion along Back Road behind Menwith Hill.

Photograph: North Yorkshire County Council roadworks map

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Stray Views: Skipton Road ‘improvements’ have made delays worse

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Skipton Road ‘improvements’ have made delays worse

At 9.30am today (Wednesday) it took me 16 minutes to drive between the New Park and Empress roundabouts in Harrogate, a distance of just over a mile.

The recent ‘improvement’ to the traffic lights at the junction of King’s Road and Woodfield Road has made Skipton Road jams much worse, in both directions.

When will North Yorkshire County Council return to remedy these problems where the traffic lights are not giving anything like enough time to motorists on the main Skipton Road, and how much has this wasted work cost so far?

Liz Carnell, Knox Way, Harrogate

Get it beeping right!

I read your articles about beeps at pedestrian crossings.

I have reasonably good eyesight and hearing but I entirely agree with Mr Raho that beeps are really necessary at pedestrian crossings and should be installed, as they do help so much when trying to cross.

Patricia Perry, Harrogate

Our MP is in first gear

I read last week’s letter about Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones’ lack of communication on his website.

It’s because it’s such a safe seat and he thinks he will walk it again at the next election — he’s in first gear all the way.

Michael Ward, Knaresborough

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

 

Roadworks reduce Harrogate’s Cheltenham Parade to single lane until Thursday

Drivers are set to face delays in Harrogate town centre as roadworks take place on Cheltenham Parade.

North Yorkshire County Council is carrying out work to install a fibre optic cable up the street and has reduced traffic to one lane.

Cheltenham Parade becomes single lane next to the junction with Commercial Street and Station Parade.

The move has led to queues on the road this lunchtime, with traffic backing up onto Ripon Road.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the work is set to remain in place until Thursday this week.

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Three days of roadworks to start at Prince of Wales roundabout

Drivers could face delays as three days of roadworks start at the Prince of Wales roundabout in Harrogate this morning.

North Yorkshire County Council is carrying out works to the street lighting at the roundabout. The work will include a lane closure on Leeds Road.

Work will take place between 9.30am and 3pm until Saturday, March 26.

The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.

We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.

The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.

Double delay for Kirkby Malzeard road users

It’s almost two years since a section of church wall collapsed in Kirkby Malzeard, raising safety concerns and causing the closure of one of the principal routes through the village.

The retaining wall at St Andrew’s Church collapsed after heavy rain in February 2020.

Harrogate Borough Council’s plans for reconstruction of the collapsed 10-metre section and refurbishment of a further 30 metres of wall have been revised following drawn-out consultation with villagers and statutory bodies including Historic England.

It means the road to Masham remains shut, with no date for its reopening currently known as Harrogate Borough Council is unable to say when the wall will be rebuilt. However, things could move forward next week.

A council spokesman said:

“An application relating to St Andrew’s Church Wall, Kirkby Malzeard will be considered by the council’s planning committee on Tuesday (15 February), the outcome of which will inform next steps, costs and timescales”.

Lynda English, whose children are pupils at Kirkby Malzeard Primary School, which is across the road from the damaged stone structure, told the Stray Ferret:

“Each time it rains, more debris falls from the graveyard onto Church Street and there are an increasing number of gaps between the stones on the section of wall that is due to be rebuilt.”

Road closed sign in Kirkby Malzeard

Church Street, where Kirkby Malzeard Primary School is located, has been closed to through traffic for almost two years

“Fencing has been put in place to block off the collapsed section but it still doesn’t feel safe to me and other families living in the Church Bank area, who have to pass each day, when taking children to school.

“The whole village is fed-up with the delay in fixing the wall but, at the same time, we want to ensure that a proper and lasting repair job is done.”

Photo of Creets Bridge

Creets Bridge traffic lights

In a further blow for motorists travelling to, from and through Kirkby Malzeard, traffic is being held up at the grade II listed Creets Bridge, which crosses Kex Beck, on the main road between the village and Ripon.

The centuries-old bridge was reconstructed by North Yorkshire County Council after suffering severe damage in the floods of November 2000.

Now traffic lights, cones and a concrete barrier have been put in place and only single file traffic can cross, as the route awaits new repair work,

At the time of publication the Stray Ferret was unable to establish from NYCC how long it will take to carry out the works.

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Road closure affects Harrogate’s Leadhall Lane until Friday

Motorists face delays this week as emergency roadworks are carried out on Leadhall Lane in Harrogate.

Northern Gas Networks is currently carrying out repairs to a gas pipe on the road.

Leadhall Lane is closed in both directions between Throstle Nest Drive and Leadhall Road.

The company has apologised for any inconvenience caused.

Northern Gas said in a statement:

“We’re carrying out emergency repairs at Leadhall Lane. 

“To safely reach the main under the carriageway, we’ve had to close the road until Friday. We’re really sorry for any inconvenience during this time.”

The works are the latest by Northern Gas Networks in the town.

Last month, the company undertook a series of works on Skipton Road at the junctions with Knox Avenue, Bilton Grange Close and Skipton Crescent.

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Killinghall roadwork misery set to continue for extra week

Roadworks at the junction of Otley Road and Ripon Road in Killinghall are to continue for an extra week.

Long queues either side of the village have been a regular site since temporary traffic lights were installed on Monday.

Northern Powergrid wrote to nearby residents before the scheme began saying work would last 10 days until Friday 4 while it excavated a trench and laid cables beneath the pavement outside the Tesco being built on Ripon Road.

But residents have not been informed of further work due to take place from February 7 to 11.

According to the North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map, broadband and water works will begin once the current work has ended.

The work by Openreach and Yorkshire Water will again involve three-way traffic lights, which are likely to cause more delays to motorists.

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A spokesperson for Openreach said:

“We have some minor works taking place between 7 and 9 February. This is to lay around 30 metres of underground ducting. To enable our engineers to work safely, we will require temporary traffic lights.

“We will work as quickly as we can do and make every attempt to co-ordinate the timing of our work with other companies to keep disruption to a minimum.”

Traffic in Killinghall this week has been described as “chaos”, with tailbacks of up to two miles reported during rush hours.