More roadworks cause delays at Curious Cow roundabout

Temporary traffic lights will be in place near a key junction in Harrogate for the next week as Yorkshire Water connects a new housing development in the area.

Work to connect developments on Skipton Road is affecting the B6161 Otley Road near the roundabout joining the A59 Skipton Road.

It is causing lengthy tailback at the Curious Cow roundabout on the edge of Killinghall.

The work is scheduled to last until next Friday, April 28, though Yorkshire Water said there will a short break this weekend. A spokesperson said:

“Our teams are on site to complete a connection for a new housing development. Traffic lights are in place to allow this work to be carried out safely.

“We have work closely with North Yorkshire Council highways team and to minimise disruption as much as possible the traffic lights will be removed on Saturday and reinstated on Monday for work to continue. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.”

Meanwhile, CityFibre is installing fibre optic cables for broadband along the A61 Ripon Road between Harrogate and Killinghall.

The work, which is being carried out between 7pm and 6.30am, has already begun and is scheduled to continue into next week.

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Three months of roadworks between Ripon and Harrogate start tomorrow

Three months of nighttime roadworks are scheduled to begin tomorrow on the main road between Ripon and Harrogate.

The A61 will be dug up as part of fibre optics company City Fibre‘s £46 million digital infrastructure upgrade in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Traffic lights are scheduled to be in place until July 13.

Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at City Fibre said:

“Works will take place 7pm to 6.30am, Monday to Friday, with the road returned to two-way traffic every morning.”

A City Fibre spokesperson added “there may be a small amount of weekend work, subject to confirmation with highways”, adding:

“If this is the case, City Fibre will actively avoid any weekend with a major local event like Harrogate Flower Show.”

The entire length of the A61 between Ripon and Harrogate will be affected, including some residential areas.

Asked whether people could expect drilling and other noise at nights, a CityFibre spokesperson said it “working closely with the council and managing disruption as best they can”.

City Fibre is installing next generation full fibre connectivity to almost every home and business in the area.

Ms Johnston added:

“This is a major undertaking, which is why we work closely with our build partner, local authorities and the council’s highways team to manage disruption as best we can and ensure works are delivered quickly, and always to our high standards.”

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Cycling signs on Otley Road are ‘temporary measure’

The company rolling out fibre broadband infrastructure across Harrogate has reassured residents that replacement pavement markings are only temporary.

CityFibre said the bicycle signs on Otley Road should be replaced within the next two weeks with a more permanent finish.

The paths were dug up last month to install fibre optic broadband cables as part of a district-wide project.

The trench was filled with tarmac, which partially removed the markings for the shared cycle path. A can of white spray paint was reportedly used by workers to mark up what was previously in place.

Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at CityFibre, said:

“The restoration works are ongoing, with the current cycle marking a temporary measure. We expect work to be completed on or around April 18, dependant on permit approval.

“We would like to thank residents for their patience and reassure them of our commitment to leaving the area in the same way we found it. Works on Otley Road are part of our £46m full fibre rollout in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, which is set to future-proof the area’s digital infrastructure for decades to come.”

According to the North Yorkshire Council roadworks map, CityFibre is expected to return to the area from April 11 to 18 for the work, with temporary traffic lights to be used around the junctions of Harlow Moor Road and Pannal Ash Road.

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Separately, North Yorkshire Council had previously said the road would be closed between 7pm and 3am from April 24 to 28 for remedial works to the cycle route.

It has now confirmed that daytime work is also expected to take place between Monday, April 24, and Wednesday, May 3, from 7.30am to 5pm.

The work had been due to take place last year, but was delayed until after the CityFibre project was complete.

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire Council’s highways area manager for Harrogate, said:

“CityFibre have agreed to reinstate the cycle route and any associated lining back to appropriate standards. Officers are in discussion with CityFibre to ensure this is addressed.

“After phase one of the cycle path was completed, the need for some remedial work was identified. That included resurfacing junctions between Otley Road and side roads, to the tactile paving and grass verges. It was also recognised that additional signs and street furniture were needed.”

Three months of roadworks on A61 from Harrogate to Ripon set to begin

Roadworks are set to bring three months of disruption to motorists travelling between Ripon and Harrogate.

The A61 will be dug up as part of fibre optics company City Fibre‘s £46 million digital infrastructure upgrade in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Work has been completed in most areas. However, signs have gone up on the A61 Ripon Road warning that nighttime work will take place between April 17 and July 13.

Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at City Fibre said:

“From April 17, we will be starting work on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon.

“This work will last for approximately three months and will require traffic management on one side of the road.

“Works will take place 7pm to 6.30am, Monday to Friday, with the road returned to two-way traffic every morning.”

Traffic lights will be in place during these hours, and no detours are planned.

A City Fibre spokesperson added “there may be a small amount of weekend work, subject to confirmation with highways”, adding:

“If this is the case, City Fibre will actively avoid any weekend with a major local event like Harrogate Flower Show.”

The entire length of the A61 between Ripon and Harrogate will be affected.

Ms Johnston said:

“CityFibre is investing £46m in transforming Harrogate and Ripon’s digital infrastructure and bringing next generation full fibre connectivity to almost every home and business in the area.

“This is a major undertaking, which is why we work closely with our build partner, local authorities and the council’s highways team to manage disruption as best we can and ensure works are delivered quickly, and always to our high standards.”

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Otley Road to be closed for cycle route improvements

Otley Road in Harrogate will be closed for five nights next month while remedial works are carried out to the cycle path.

The work follows a review of the project by North Yorkshire County Council and contractor WSP after its completion last February.

The company had been asked to carry out improvements, including carriageway resurfacing, but this was delayed until after CityFibre installed new fibre broadband infrastructure earlier this year.

Now, dates have been set for the remedial work.

Otley Road will be closed between Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road every night from April 24 to 28, from 7pm to 3am.

The Stray Ferret asked the council for full details of the work to be carried out, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The news of the planned works follows an announcement from the council that it was scrapping the second phase of the three-part cycle lane scheme.

The first phase, which saw shared and segregated cycle lanes installed on Otley Road between Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road, has come under fire since its construction. As part of a joint project which also aimed to widen the junction between Otley Road and Harlow Moor Road, it cost more than £2.2m.

Pedestrians have said the shared paths do not feel safe, while cyclists said it did nothing to encourage more people to cycle.

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As a result, the council said it is reviewing plans for schemes to encourage active travel and would not be extending the cycle route to Beech Grove, as originally planned.

Speaking last month, the council’s executive member for transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“Our proposal to consider an alternative package of sustainable transport measures demonstrates how we are listening to public feedback. Halting construction of phase two allows us the opportunity to prepare new measures with local input and support.

“The constraints of Otley Road meant it was always going to be difficult to meet government cycle infrastructure design standards without infringing on the Stray, widening the road or removing trees.

“We consulted on a number of options, but these were not fully compliant and attracted criticism. Cyclists have expressed concerns that the proposed cycle way would not encourage more cycling due to its design, while pedestrians said they were concerned about their safety.

“Given the concerns, it is right that we think again and explore alternative measures to promote walking, cycling and use of public transport.”

Morning delays at Harrogate’s Prince of Wales Roundabout

There were delays at the Prince of Wales roundabout in the centre of Harrogate this morning.

Cones were placed around the roundabout reducing traffic to one lane – Leeds Road and Otley Road were also reduced to one lane approaching the roundabout.

The roadworks were not listed on North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map and were removed by lunchtime.

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Curious Cow roadworks near Harrogate to end tomorrow

Roadworks that have caused lengthy delays near Harrogate for the last month are due to end tomorrow.

Four-way traffic lights were installed at the roundabout near the Curious Cow at Oaker Bank, Killinghall to allow Express Utilities to put in utility infrastructure for a nearby housing development.

The roadworks were due to continue until Friday but Matthew Ross, operations director at Express Utilities, said today:

“I am able to confirm that Express Utilities have progressed with our planned work at this location ahead of schedule.

“We are now due to complete and remove all of our traffic management set up by Monday 13th February.”

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Harrogate’s Otley Road to be dug up again

Harrogate’s Otley Road is to be dug up for the second time in just over a year.

Work is due to start on Monday, February 20 and last for two weeks subject to external factors such as weather.

North Yorkshire County Council contractors spent three months creating the first phase of the Otley Road cycleway between September and December 2021.

The same stretch of road is now set to be disturbed again to allow the firm City Fibre to install fibre optic cables that will enable people to receive full fibre-enabled broadband services.

City Fibre is nearing the end of a £46 million upgrade of broadband connectivity in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon. Otley Road will be the last area to be completed in Harrogate.

The county council was due to begin remedial work early this year on cycleway design faults and defects highlighted by residents and Harrogate District Cycle Action.

But a report to councillors for a meeting tomorrow says:

“In May 2022 the fibre optic network company City Fibre contacted North Yorkshire County Council with a request to install fibre optic cables down the full length of the newly constructed cycleway.

“We have negotiated with City Fibre to reinstate the full width of the cycleway at their expense. We will therefore carry out our outstanding remedial works once City Fibre have installed their apparatus.”

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Kim Johnston, City Fibre area manager, said in a press release sent out previously that the firm will repair defects at its own expense when it makes good the road. She said:

“We are working closely with North Yorkshire County Council in this area as we understand that the footways on Otley Road have undergone recent resurfacing.

“With the council’s agreement, as part of City Fibre’s essential development works, the footways will be restored, including repairs to defects that North Yorkshire County Council were due to carry out.”

 

Temporary traffic lights near Killinghall set to last another four weeks

Four-way traffic lights near Killinghall which have caused lengthy delays for motorists are set to last for another four weeks.

The roadworks at the roundabout near the Curious Cow at Oaker Bank are due to continue until February 17.

It comes as Express Utilities is carrying out work to install utility infrastructure for a nearby housing development.

The company has placed temporary traffic lights on the junction with Skipton Road while the work is carried out.

The works have caused delays for motorists, particularly during morning rush hour traffic.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Express Utilities said it was “supplying extra resources” to the works from January 23 in an effort to complete the work before February 17.

The company said:

“We appreciate that this type of work can cause inconvenience to members of the public and we will do all we can to minimise any disruption as far as practicable.

“As suggested, we will complete the works as soon as possible whilst keeping the traffic flowing as much as possible, maintaining the safety of our operatives and the public as our number one priority.”

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Roadworks to start on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road this week

Ten days of roadworks are due to commence on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road on Thursday.

Northern Powergrid will carry out work to connect new electric vehicle charging points at Leon restaurant to the electricity network.

It will mean closing the inside lane of the carriageway outside Leon on the approach to the Woodlands junction.

Roadworks took place in the same area from April to June last year in the run-up to Leon opening.

Project engineer Richard Appleyard said in a letter on behalf of Northern Powergrid to residents in the area:

“I regret it will be necessary to excavate a trench, install new cables and cable joints in the highway footpath, in front of the previously installed green substation kiosk at the front corner of the property.

“It is appreciated that there will be a certain amount of disruption during the implementation of this work, but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.”

The letter added it would be necessary to close a section of the inside lane “and set up a barrier system incorporating a temporary footpath within the carriageway”. It added:

“Every effort will be made to maintain access to adjacent properties at all times.”

Joe Shields, who lives in the area, questioned why the work wasn’t carried out when the road was previously dug up. He said:

“I can see the tailbacks and frustrated drivers already. Not to mention locals and pub customers.

“Last time there was work it was complete chaos and took weeks and weeks.”

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