A Harrogate road often used as a cut-through by vehicles is set to reopen to through traffic this autumn.
A 12-month traffic order has blocked traffic at the bridge where Kingsley Road meets Bogs Lane since November last year.
The route was previously used by some vehicles to avoid congestion on the main A59 Knaresborough Road, as well as by locals.
The traffic order was issued to enable developer Redrow to carry out work at its 133-home Kingsley Manor development.
The bridge that divides Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road is to re-open to vehicles.
North Yorkshire Council wanted to make the closure permanent but has been unable to do so and the roads will reopen to through traffic when the 12-month order lapses on November 3.
A council email sent to interested parties said it needed to construct a turning area on Bogs Lane “as a prerequisite to any road closure”.
The email, which is attributed to a ‘development management team’ rather than any named individual, added:
“We have been negotiating with this third party landowner for over 18 months and despite protracted correspondence, there has been no conclusion to the enquiry.
“The local highway authority is now at the stage where we must proceed with an alternative option to create a safe pedestrian environment on Bogs Lane as the temporary road closure expires in November and the occupation of dwellings on the Redrow site will begin shortly after.”
The council now wants to install a pedestrian route between the proposed Redrow site entrance on Bogs Lane and the garage to the east of the railway bridge.
The email added:
“The proposal would create a notional 1.5 metre wide footway on the northern side of the road, which would be slightly narrower over short sections in some places due to physical site constraints.
“This option would require the road to be realigned slightly to the south and reinforced in places in order to retain its current minimal width of 4.8m.
“Discussions are already underway with Network Rail with regards to the proposed footway crossing the bridge deck, as this bridge is a Network Rail asset for which permissions would be required to undertake works.”
The email added the council is talking to Redrow about amending 2017 documents that obliged the developer to construct a footway.
‘The infamous Kingsley rat run will reappear’
Some people welcomed the road closure for making the Kingsley area quieter; others said it added time to their journeys and the detours only increased pollution.
Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley on the council, was among those who supported a permanent closure. He said:
“I do see the point, which I understand many of the consultees made, regarding keeping Bogs Lane open to emergency vehicles, which would benefit residents on both sides of the bridge.
“I’m really pleased that, at long last, Bogs Lane is going to get a decent footway, hopefully prior to November 4th, when the Redrow Road Closure expires.
“My main worry is that the infamous Kingsley rat run will reappear when the road re-opens, but I understand traffic lights and traffic calming measures on both sides of the bridge and around the new junction will not make the road any quicker for motorists than using Knaresborough Road.”
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Road closures announced for Harrogate’s St George’s Day Parade
Traffic will be prohibited on several roads in Harrogate on Sunday afternoon for the annual St George’s Day parade.
The parade, which was held for the first time in three years last year, sees hundreds of Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Cubs and more join together in uniform to mark the occasion.
North Yorkshire Council, the highways authority, has issued temporary prohibition of traffic orders lasting from 1.30pm to 3pm.
It covers Victoria Avenue and parts of West Park, Beech Grove, Station Parade, Marlborough Road, Queen Parade, North Park Road, Coach Road and Christ Church track.
Victoria Avenue is among the roads affected.
Alternative routes will be signposted.
The closures do not apply to emergency vehicles.
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Road works to affect The Oval in Harrogate this month
A section of The Oval in Harrogate is to close to traffic for at least 11 days for road works.
The traffic order begins on January 17 and is expected to remain in place until January 28 but could be extended into February.
It will allow work to take place to install new surface water pipework as part of a nearby development.
The lower section of The Oval will be affected, with drivers being asked to use Park Road instead.
North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, said there were no plans to extend the work to other areas of The Oval.
Work on nearby Otley Road is set to resume in the coming weeks to complete the first phase of the Otley Road cycle path. Severe weather brought work to a halt shortly before Christmas.
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- Councillors urged to drop ‘crazy’ Harrogate Station Gateway scheme
- Skipton Road traffic lights refurbishment to cost £143,000