Today’s government announcements on major improvements to the road network will attract mixed reactions in York.

Included is a pledge to “grade separate” the Hopgrove  A1237/A64 junction. This means that fly-overs will replace the roundabout (which was itself subject to an £9 million upgrade only 5 years ago).

However, those hoping for the A1237 to be dualled will be disappointed and traffic, at busy times, having avoided the Hopgrove bottleneck, will immediately face continuing congestion on the remainder of the A64 trip to the coast.

Hopes for the A1237 seem to rest on the devolved funding made available to the, increasingly aloof, Leeds based “West Yorkshire Combined Authority”.  

Reports last week suggested that funding for larger roundabouts is the extent of their ambitions.