Road works set to close Gale Lane and Cornlands Road in October/November

City of York Council will be carrying out essential roadworks on key roads in York including, Cornlands Road, Bad Bargain Lane and Gale Lane, throughout October and November.

The council has worked with trade unions and its supply chain to enable the authority to develop new ways of working during the pandemic. This has ensured works on the highway can happen in a safe way for front line operatives and the public.

The contractor has permission from the local authority to undertake this essential work at this time.

For more info about current roadworks in York visit www.york.gov.uk/roadworks

The Council says that the following works are being undertaken:

Gale Lane

We will be carrying out road maintenance works at Gale Lane from 2 November for 5 days, weather permitting. Work will be carried out between 9am – 5pm working Monday to Friday only.

In order to carry out the work safely, the use of a full road closure from, but not including, the mini roundabout at Thanet Road up to the junction of St Stephens Road will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

We will also be carrying out kerbing and drainage works on 29th October for a period of 2 days working 9am – 4pm. These works will be carried out under local traffic management, will not affect access and the road will be open as normal. Parking will be suspended in sections to enable us to carry out the works.

All on-street parking will be suspended during the hours of the works for the full duration, but specific access requirements can be arranged by speaking to the site Traffic Management Operatives, who will coordinate with residents (and business requirements) around the ongoing work operations.

Cornlands Road

We will be carrying out road maintenance works at Cornlands Road from 26 October 2020 for a period of 3 days (weather permitting). The works will be carried out between 9am – 5pm.

In order to carry out the work safely, the use of a full road closure from, but not including, the mini roundabout at Gale Lane up to the junction of St Stephen’s Road will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

Bad Bargain Lane

We will be carrying out road maintenance works at Bad Bargain Lane from 26 October. Work is expected to take 5 days, weather permitting. Work will be carried out between 9am – 5pm working Monday to Friday only. In order to carry out the work safely, the use of a full road closure from, but not including, the junction of Meadlands up to, and including, the junction of Burnholme Grove will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

All on-street parking will be suspended during the hours of the works for the full duration, but specific access requirements can be arranged by speaking to the site traffic management operatives, who will coordinate with residents and business requirements around the ongoing work operations.

Bus Service 11 will be diverted via East Parade straight on to Heworth Village, Hempland Lane, Stockton Lane, Algarth Rd and Ashley Park Rd.

We will also be carrying out kerbing and drainage works on 19 October for a period of 5 days working 9am – 4pm Monday to Friday only. These works will be carried out under local traffic management, will not affect access and the road will be open as normal. Parking will be suspended in sections to enable us to carry out the works.

York Councils strange priorities

Work has started on digging up the Tadcaster Road highway again.

Yesterday workers were ripping up the surface of The Mount prior to moving on down Tadcaster Road.

Initially new gas main pipes will be installed. These will be followed by the new drainage channels which should have been provided in the spring when the carriageway was last dug up.

Roadworks in Tadcaster Road area will mean 6 months of disruption and a £5.6 million cost to taxpayers.

The scheme can be contrasted with other urgently needed repairs elsewhere in west York.

School Street was reported this week for the umpteenth time only for the Council to respond saying that “no further work is required”

School Street area – a patchwork of potholes and faded white lines

Share your views on the York Outer Ring Road

City of York Council is asking residents, businesses and visitors for their views on the proposed upgrade of the York Outer Ring Road from A19 Shipton Road to the A1036 Little Hopgrove.

This follows the announcement last year that the Department for Transport has approved York’s £25m scheme to dual the Outer Ring Road from the A19 Shipton Road to the A1036 Little Hopgrove progressing to final business case stage.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority have also approved £38m to upgrade seven roundabouts along the ring road. Wetherby Road roundabout was the first to be upgraded and was completed in 2019.

Alongside the road and active travel upgrades there will also be an extensive landscape programme with the aim of retaining existing trees and hedgerows where we can. Where this is not possible a diverse range of trees and hedgerows will be planted to complement the local environment and integrate the new road into the existing landscape.

The council have written to over 17,000 residents and businesses close to the York Outer Ring Road. People can also share the views online at www.york.gov.uk/yorr. The consultation closes on Monday 16 November 2020.

Would you believe it; They’re going to dig up Tadcaster Road again!

A Council media release today confirms what many feared. The Tadcaster Road carriageway is going to be dug up again only 3 months after it was resurfaced.

The carriageway is currently in excellent condition and contrasts markedly with the condition of most other roads in west York.

But it seems that the Council jumped the gun when they undertook a £600,000 resurfacing scheme earlier in the summer.

The government announced a £5 million improvement budget in July only weeks after work on the road was completed. The government was responding to a bid that the York Council had made earlier in the year.

It is likely that taxpayers will want to know a lot more about how this blunder happened.

The Council media release issued today says,

“One of the busiest roads in York is set to benefit from a £5million government funded road improvement scheme.

City of York Council was successfully awarded funding from the Department of Transport’s Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund.

The funding will enable to council to improve large sections of drainage along this route which will reduce localised surface water flooding. The work includes the delivery of additional pedestrian crossings and will ensure the road is maintenance free for the next 10 years.

The authority has been proactively working with all the major utility companies, water, gas, electric, phones, to coordinate their future work. During this process it became apparent that Northern Gas Networks (NGN), were due to carry out major work in 2023. Working in partnership they have brought this work forward to 10 October 2020 ensuring minimum disruption for residents and commuters. The council works are scheduled to start in January 2021.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Executive Member for Transport, said at City of York Council, said:
“It’s excellent news that our bid for £5million to upgrade Tadcaster Road to reduce localised flooding has been reviewed by Government and is now in approved. This will deliver much needed improvements to one of York’s busiest routes.

“Our primary goal is to ensure these works are coordinated with utilities companies so that the level of disruption for residents, businesses and visitors is reduced as much as possible.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Wasn’t part of Tadcaster Road resurfaced earlier this year?
Yes, the council bid to government for a scheme on Tadcaster Road. The council received confirmation in March that it was unsuccessful and would not receive funding. Therefore the council resurfaced a section of Tadcaster Road as it was in need of urgent repairs between The Horseshoe and St Aubyns Place.
However, in June the council was then awarded the £5million funding to improve large sections of drainage along Tadcaster Road which will reduce the risk of localised surface water flooding.

Northern Gas Networks have recently informed the council they have plans to carry out major works to their service at Tadcaster Road by 2025. The council was not made aware of these works before the section of Tadcaster Road between The Horseshoe and St Aubyns Place was resurfaced earlier this year.
Whilst it is not an ideal situation, the Council would rather sacrifice a small part of the works that have been undertaken already rather than risk the digging up of the major £5 million scheme in a few years’ time for the Northern Gas Networks scheme.

Hull Road/Osbaldwick Link Road junction improvements

Ageing and outdated traffic signals at the junction of Hull Road and Osbaldwick Road are set to be replaced next month.

This is part of a scheme to help improve pedestrian access and ease congestion in the area.

The works will include replacing all the ageing traffic signal equipment, widening the traffic islands, resurfacing both the footpaths and road across the junction and parts of the Hull Road approach.

Works will start on Monday 7 September and are estimated to take around ten weeks to complete. The hours of working will be 9.30am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays.

In order for the work to be carried out safely, there will be some restrictions, including:

Reducing the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph in works areas
Closing the outbound to inbound U-turn on Hull Road, a signed diversion will be in place
Suspending the inbound bus lane from the Hull Road junction with the Grimston Bar Park & Ride to the Hull Road junction with Osbaldwick link road.

Whilst the works are ongoing the junction will be operating under temporary traffic signals. Motorists are advised to expect delays during this period. We will be managing the network to reduce delays as much as possible.

The new technology being installed will help to manage traffic in the area and enable the new systems to link direct to the council’s Traffic and Control Centre, so that Network Monitoring Officers can manage the flow of traffic better in busy periods.

Scheme of roadworks set to take place in August

City of York Council will be carrying out essential roadworks on key roads in York including,

Acomb Road,
Hull Road,
Hallcroft Lane and
Hill Crest Gardens

throughout August.

Details can be found by clicking here

£5 million Tadcaster Road repairs budget?

The government announced yesterday an allocation of £5 million for road maintenance on Tadcaster Road York. The local LibDem leadership promptly issued a statement saying that the money would be spent on “repairs”.

“There will be £5m each for plans to make the key route network in Liverpool more resilient, to begin further maintenance on the Swanswell Viaduct in Coventry, and for road maintenance on the Tadcaster Road in York“. – Boris Johnson

This will come as a surprise to many. Tadcaster Road (between Middlethorpe Drive and Knavesmire Gates) was resurfaced last month at a cost to local taxpayers of £600,000. This brought over a mile of carriageway up to standard.

That left a ½ mile stretch between Middlethorpe Drive and Sim Balk Lane to complete. Even taking into account the Tesco roundabout and adjacent off road cycle track (which does need to be reconstructed because of tree root damage) we wouldn’t expect resurfacing this section to cost more than £300,000.

There are many other carriageways in York which are in a much worse condition.

We hope that the Council will move quickly to confirm that the funding is intended to deal with the congestion black spot near the College entrance. There are unnecessary tail backs along Tadcaster Road at peak times as a result of large numbers of people leaving the college and using the pelican crossing.

College pelican crossing on Tadcaster Road

This is compounded by on carriageway bus stops and traffic lights at the Sim Balk Lane junction.

Even the provision of a footbridge would look like an expensive solution to this problem (and not necessarily a facility that everyone would choose to use).

So some further explanation is needed.

Tudor Road reopens

Yorkshire Water have removed the road closed signs from Tudor Road. It is now accessible to all traffic although the bus services have not yet been rerouted.

One of the footpaths remains closed.

Yorkshire Water continue to work in the area on connections for the nearby Lowfields development.

Gale Lane reopens to traffic

Yorkshire Water have completed their water mains repair on Gale Lane which has now reopened to traffic.

Tudor Road is still closed and will be for at least another 2 weeks. Still no provision has been made for cyclists. No doubt if this was a street located in the City Centre such neglect would bring a chorus of disapproval!