Caravans could be targeted in drive to cut congestion on A64

The wrangle over whether the resort's main artery should be upgraded to dual carriageway all the way to Leeds has been dragging on for decades – and the estimated cost has now reached about 250m.

Now Scarborough Council chiefs have called in experts for a new study suggesting a range of improvements varying in cost from 5m to 25m.

However, the economic climate in which the report has been drafted has led to a number of more modest solutions – which would not require major engineering works – to ease the jams that bring misery to motorists every summer.

Scarborough's new rugby club at Silver Royd, north of Scalby, on the road to Whitby, has already been laid out with extensive parking facilities for both cars and coaches.

The experts suggest this could provide a ready-made park-and-ride site when there is no action on the pitch.

It is suggested the highway authorities could negotiate with Scarborough RUFC to utilise some of the bays on non-match days for commuter and holiday traffic.

The study found that while drivers heading for the coast are unlikely to even reach the speed limit due to the amount of traffic, many of the problems arise because of a shortage of passing places.

During the holiday season, the route, which has only two dual carriageway sections between Scarborough and York, is often jammed with tractors, vehicles towing caravans, camper vans, lorries, buses and vintage cars and even old Army vehicles bound for various events,

The council's director of technical services, John Riby, said: "Analysis of congestion along the A64 corridor has, not surprisingly, revealed the influence of the seasonal increase in traffic volumes. The congestion along the route in peak summer times is such that speed limits, on average, are never reached.

"Given the high volumes of caravans on single carriageway stretches of the A64, and the fact that these vehicles are restricted to 50 mph, it is a consequence that trailing vehicles cannot achieve their legal speed limit.

"This is suggested as an important consideration for identifying interventions along the route that may seek to reduce the impact of slower moving vehicles."

The study, one of the most extensive every undertaken into the impact of congestion on the route, also includes a financial break-down of the effect on the local economy every time there is a crash.

There was also the human cost – accidents resulting in serious injuries nearly doubled from 2005 to 2006, before reducing to 2005 levels over the four years to 2009.

Mr Riby added: "Importantly, the impacts of accidents in terms of disruption to the A64 have been considered. The Highways Agency have identified that the average duration of a 'critical' accident is nearly four hours.

"Such impact can have not only a personal impact upon those involved, but can have economic impacts on the local area and it is estimated that an accident involving a total road closure will cost, on average over 4,000 for every kilometre of traffic delayed by one hour.

"Using this base, it has been estimated that between 2005 to 2009 this equates to over 0.5m."

The commissioned consultants, Jacobs UK, have now submitted a working draft of their report, called A64 Corridor Connectivity Study, ready for it to be forwarded to MPs and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond.

It has involved all the local authorities along the A64 corridor – North Yorkshire, Ryedale, York, and Scarborough – plus Yorkshire Forward, the Government Office, rail operators, and the Highways Agency.