(Image: PA MEDIA)
Drivers face an almost 55-mile diversion when a major North Yorkshire road closes for essential maintenance next month.
The A169 at Blue Bank, near Sleights, is due to close from 9am to 3.30pm from Monday, October 19, to Friday, October 23.
North Yorkshire Council says the five-day closure is needed for annual maintenance on the steep stretch between the Fair Head Lane and Eskdaleside junctions.
One.Network lists the signed diversion as 88.23km, or about 54.8 miles.
The diversion is expected to take about an hour.
55-mile diversion during Blue Bank closure
Blue Bank lies on the A169 between Pickering and Whitby, one of the main routes across the North York Moors to the coast.
The closure affects the section at Sleights from the Fair Head Lane junction to the Eskdaleside junction.
The closure is short, but the signed diversion is lengthy because of the surrounding geography.
One.Network puts the diversion at 88.23km, just under 55 miles.
The route loops through the surrounding area before returning towards the A169.
It takes in Coach Road and Carr Hill Lane before heading for Guisborough Road and Mayfield Road.
Drivers then use New Bridge and Stainsacre Lane before joining Robin Hood's Bay Road.
Diversion travels through Scarborough area
The route continues for several miles through Scalby Road, Stepney Road, Stepney Hill and Seamer Moor Hill.
Drivers then take Racecourse Road towards Pickering.
The diversion then follows High Street and Whitby Road before heading back towards the North York Moors.
Later, the route takes in Saltergate Bank and White Way Heads before returning to Whitby Road.
One.Network estimates the signed route at 88.23km and says it takes about an hour.
When is Blue Bank closed?
The A169 at Blue Bank is due to close from 9am to 3.30pm each day from Monday, October 19, to Friday, October 23.
The road is not due to remain closed overnight.
North Yorkshire Council describes the work as "annual essential highway maintenance".
A local road restriction notice confirms the five-day closure covers Blue Bank between the Fair Head Lane and Eskdaleside junctions.
The authority’s 2026/27 highway programme also lists work on the A169 at Blue Bank, in Sleights.
Where is Blue Bank?
Blue Bank is the steep section of the A169 just south of Sleights, near Whitby.
The road climbs sharply from the Esk Valley into the North York Moors and carries traffic between Whitby and Pickering.
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It is also a key route from inland North Yorkshire to the coast.
North Yorkshire Council operates road-weather cameras on both the uphill and downhill sections of Blue Bank because of the conditions motorists can encounter on the route.
The authority also monitors other steep North York Moors routes, including Sutton Bank and Clay Bank.
Drivers advised to plan ahead
The closure is likely to disrupt drivers who use the A169 between Whitby, Pickering and North York Moors communities.
Drivers should follow the signed diversion and avoid unsuitable minor roads around the closure.