Finally an end to landslips on A59 as 'largest highways project ever undertaken' by North Yorkshire Council nears completion

The majority of a short but vital new road for Harrogate drivers at Kex Gill has finally opened to traffic today but disruption is still likely to continue until October.

North Yorkshire Council says most of the long-awaited new 4.2-kilometre route at Kex Gill, which replaces a section of the A59 repeatedly affected by landslips, has opened today, Tuesday, August 25, following the largest highways project it has ever undertaken.

The scheme, which has been hit by delays in the past, was introduced to provide a solution to a long-standing and costly problem of landslips on this key strategic route between Harrogate and Skipton, which is also links the east and west of England.

North Yorkshire Council's executive member for highways and transportation, Coun Malcolm Taylor, said: “This is a moment that we have been aiming for throughout such a complex and detailed highways project.

“It will bring major benefits for communities in the county and across the North of England.

“The scheme is the largest we have undertaken as a council, and there have been significant challenges in such a remote location in often extremely poor weather conditions.

But North Yorkshire Council also says the ‘tie-ins’ to the existing road network, as well as major landscaping works, are still to be finished.

As well as the eastern and western tie-ins, temporary traffic lights at Church Hill are also expected to remain in operation until October.

This, in itself, is likely to mean that motorists attempting to use the new stretch of the A59 will face disruption.

Last week, the Harrogate Advertiser received reports from drivers who said they had suffered major delays at Kex Gill, with one driver claiming journeys through the area had been hit by hold-ups of almost two hours.

North Yorkshire Council says that two of the three lanes of the new section of the A59, which includes a crawler lane for slow-moving traffic, will be available for motorists to use until all elements of the scheme are finished.

But, it adds, a 30mph speed restriction will be in place until it all work is completed.