Five-week closure for work on danger road

Sutton Bank was the scene of another accident on Friday when a caravan tipped over and rolled while travelling down the A170. Firefighters attended but no one was hurt.

North Yorkshire County Council is to install a new weather station and camera on the route in an attempt to reduce the length of time it has to be closed due to vehicles breaking down and causing obstructions.

Sutton Bank is one of the most spectacular inland cliffs anywhere in Britain – a near vertical drop of 140 metres. It carries a main arterial road up a 1 in 4 gradient aggravated by a hairpin bend.

Because the route is so long, narrow and steep there is an incident almost every other day, often involving heavy goods vehicles jack-knifing on the Bank or shedding their loads, causing major delays, council bosses say.

The camera and weather station will provide remote monitoring and essential weather data to ensure it remains passable to all vehicles and to enable highways authorities to respond quickly to any incidents or climate changes.

While laying down an electrical supply to the camera and weather station, the county council's highways contractors will carry out a major programme of winter damage repairs requiring closure of five weeks from Monday, October 11.

The essential resurfacing works are due to last year's severe conditions. To minimise disruption, annual maintenance will be done at the same time, such as rock face inspection, removal of vegetation and crash barrier repairs. Diversions will be signposted.

County Coun Gareth Dadd, executive member for highways, said: "I am acutely aware of the inconvenience and disruption that these works may cause. However, if these repairs are not carried out, we could be in the position of facing even longer closures and disruption.

County Coun Caroline Patmore, the local member, said: "If we do not undertake such an extensive programme of repairs now, we will be storing up even greater problems for ourselves in the future."