Work to begin on congestion blackspot

North Yorkshire County Council sought the views of road users and took a technical analysis of the A61 Leeds Road/Leadhall Lane/Hookstone Road junction before deciding upon vast changes.

Lining works to improve the Mount Street entry and exit, repositioning of road markings at the Firs Road junction and Leadhall Lane and other changes on Leeds Road and Vernon Road will begin overnight on August 24 for five nights.

Further works will include improving the existing traffic signal controls, new dropped kerbs on Firs Road and Leadhall Lane for pedestrians, ‘no waiting’ restrictions on part of Leeds Road to prevent inconsiderate parking and further new signage and road markings.

Coun Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire’s executive member for highways, said: “We are getting on with these changes as quickly as possible with work beginning this month. Our aim has always been to make this very busy junction work for the surrounding communities and all road users.

“We are starting with the lining works which will be undertaken at night to keep any disruption to a minimum.

“We want to achieve these changes as efficiently and as swiftly as we possibly can and without too much inconvenience to the travelling public.”

The current road layout was installed as part of the new Marks and Spencer’s development on the former Nidd Vale Motors site on Leeds Road which was completed in spring last year.