Drivers urged to have their say on notorious A64 bottleneck in Yorkshire

Highways England is looking to improve congestion on a six-mile stretch of the A64, where the road narrows to two lanes between the Hopgrove roundabout and Barton le Willows.

The Government-owned company has launched a public consultation, which ends on November 21, and said it wants to hear from motorists so it can “develop options and the case for improvements to the road”.

In a statement, it said: “Feedback can be provided on a range of issues affecting the current route.

“We will also seek to understand how changes to the road may improve livelihoods and quality of life, and help to address concerns about congestion, environmental issues, and safety.”

A funding request for an upgrade is due to be submitted to the Department for Transport next year, after the public consultation is carried out.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, is urging everyone who uses the road to take part in the consultation and said he will “continue to press the case for dualling with officials and ministers”.

The Conservative MP has been calling for the road to be widened so there are two lanes running in each direction and he believes the Government will make a decision by 2024 and construction could begin within five years.

Mr Hollinrake has claimed that the bottleneck is having a significant impact on the region’s economy as a lot of people are deterred from travelling between York and the east coast for work and leisure.

“I will continue to campaign for this much needed improvement because it will bring huge benefits to the region through greater investment, productivity and economic growth,” he said.

“This is part of a feedback process on the range of options to improve the Hopgrove roundabout and to create a dual carriageway to join the existing dual carriageway.

“The options include an upgrade at Hopgrove to include a single elongated signalised roundabout in conjunction with one of three proposed dual carriageway schemes.

“These are either from a point 500m north of Hopgrove roundabout to Jinnah Restaurant or one of two offline schemes which would take the dual carriageway away from the current road.”

Mr Hollinrake said he is optimistic because the Government has altered the formula it uses to make decisions on infrastructure projects, to ensure the South of England is not always prioritised and the North receives more funding.

Highways England has already completed a feasibility study to establish the case for the junction improvement on the A64 and it recently conducted surveys to determine the environmental impact.

In a statement, the company said: “We’re developing plans to improve the A64 around the Hopgrove junction to Barton-le-Willows, to tackle problems with the current route and to make sure it’s fit for the future.

“This scheme is one of over 30 that we’re considering around the country, as part of a steady and flexible pipeline of schemes.”

It added: “We’ll be considering these for potential construction beyond 2025.”