This Harrogate A61 upgrade will make congestion worse - Yorkshire Post Letters

HAVING watched and listened to the Station Gateway presentation on Thursday evening, the reason for the loss of the major A61 route through Harrogate is now clear.

It seems that all the modelling for this project was made using flow numbers taken during lockdown. No wonder pedestrian and vehicle numbers were so low and unrealistic, and the road had been made so narrow.

Living on this north/south A61 national highway, we are fully aware of the normal use of this main road, which became unusually quiet during pandemic restrictions and road renovations, but is now almost back to its normal self.

There is heavy traffic in both directions (much of it freight) most of the time, and a real need for the central crossing bollards erected at needful places between the wide traffic lanes.

Half of this traffic will pass down Parliament Street, but the equivalent southbound traffic has to join the shoppers and bus/train users in Station Parade.

There is so much new building going on in and around our town that all numbers will surely soon outgrow this dream.

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