A1237 Outer Ring Road have advanced with the publication of a new phased delivery plan. However, financial documents reveal that while funding has been secured for the initial commercial stretch, the City of York Council is still locked in negotiations to secure the cash required to build the rest of the scheme.
The Four-Phase Blueprint
The newly published strategy divides the upgrade into four distinct geographical segments, stretching between Rawcliffe and Little Hopgrove:
- Phase 1A: A19 to Wigginton Road Roundabout, including the Clifton Moor retail junction.
- Phase 1B: Wigginton Road Roundabout to Haxby Road Roundabout.
- Phase 1C: Haxby Road Roundabout to Strensall Road Roundabout.
- Phase 1D: Strensall Road Roundabout to Little Hopgrove, including the Monks Cross junction.
The Funding Reality
Only the first section—Phase 1A—has capital allocations secured via the Department for Transport, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and internal council reserves. This initial stretch will introduce full dualling, a larger roundabout framework at Clifton Moor, and an active travel pedestrian underpass. The council is currently compiling its full business case to unlock the cash.
In contrast, the later phases—which require major civil engineering works including new bridges over the River Foss and the York-to-Scarborough railway line, alongside three further underpasses—face a multi-million-pound deficit. Officials confirmed they are still trying to negotiate a bailout package with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to prevent the project stalling at Wigginton Road.
Political Context and Timeline
Council Leader Councillor Claire Douglas defended the phased approach, arguing it prioritises infrastructure immediately adjacent to major planned housing developments:
We recognise that improving the Outer Ring Road has been talked about for a long time. This plan sets out a practical and deliverable way of making those improvements. It first focuses on enabling upcoming developments that will bring the new homes, including affordable homes, we all want to see built.
The earliest physical work on the ground will not involve road widening. Instead, contractors are scheduled to install a permanent acoustic traffic noise barrier for residents in Rawcliffe in early 2027, before any heavy highway dualling commences.