Wetherby Road roundabout upgrades – drivers warned about overnight closures next week

The Wetherby Road roundabout upgrade is moving a step closer to completion with resurfacing works on the roundabout and approach roads currently taking place.

When the roundabout is completed it will be the first of seven to receive wider entrances and exits as part of a £38m scheme to reduce congestion on the outer ring road.

The current resurfacing work is taking place in three phases. Phases one and two have been completed and phase three is set to start on Monday 24 September until Friday 28 September with work taking place overnight from 8pm – 5am to keep disruption to a minimum. During this time, in order to carry out the works safely, Wetherby Road will be closed from the junction of Beckfield Lane to the A1237.

A signed diversion route will be in place. In addition to this 3-way traffic lights will be in operation on the A1237 and Rufforth arm of Wetherby Road with traffic reduced to a single lane.

Further night-time resurfacing work is set to take place in November which will include overnight closures of the roundabout. Final dates and times are to be determined with the contractor and will be confirmed closer to the time.

As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption and inconvenience to the public, however we will try at all times to keep any disruption to a minimum.

The York Outer Ring Road improvements programme is being funded through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, and the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

For more information about the York Outer Ring Road improvements visit www.york.gov.uk/yorr

Work set to start on Wetherby Road roundabout plus other roadworks in York

Work will begin next month to upgrade the first of seven roundabouts on the outer ring road in a bid to cut congestion and journey times.

Wetherby Road roundabout will be widened to create a three-lane approach and two-lane exit. Cyclists will also benefit from a council-funded off-road cycle route between Rufforth and Acomb.

Work will take place every weekday from 7:30am to 4:00pm, with the potential for evening, weekend and some overnight work at points before the improvements are complete next spring. Motorists can expect minor delays at as the roundabout’s approaches and exits have a reduced, 30 mile per hour limit throughout the works.

The total £38 million programme is funded through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, and will take up to four years to complete all seven roundabouts.

The council is also asking for views on proposals to upgrade the second roundabout in the scheme, at Monks Cross. You have until Friday 1 June to comment on the plans, which can be viewed online at www.york.gov.uk/yorr, at the council’s West Offices on Station Rise, YO1 6GA.

All comments will be reviewed and changes to the design made where possible. The decision on the final layout will be taken at a public Executive Member for Transport and Planning Decision Session meeting later in the year.

Heslington road junction set to be improved

City of York Council is warning residents and visitors to expect disruption whilst we make improvements to the junction of Heslington and Cemetery Road.
The improvements include, replacing ageing and failing traffic signals, enhancing the pedestrian crossing facilities at the junction and adding a cycle lane on the Barbican Road approach.

The work is scheduled to start on Monday 4 June and is expected to take four weeks to complete. Work will be carried out Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm and also take place on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 3pm.

Four-way traffic management will be in place at the junction and it is likely that the work will cause significant disruption to traffic. We are aiming to keep this to a minimum by working in phases to allow the junction to function as well as possible. However, residents, businesses and visitors are advised to expect delays.

Temporary crossing points will be available at all times to ensure that all currently available pedestrian crossings are maintained. Traffic marshals will also be on site to assist pedestrians crossing the road.

The five year traffic signal asset renewal programme was given the green light by the councillor responsible for transport and planning in November 2015.

The total replacement programme will cost £2.62m over five years and will be funded through the capital programme budget and the existing Local Transport Plan budget.

For information on travelling in and around York visit www.itravelyork.info/roadworks

UFO set to take off shortly

TalkTalk have published the latest work programme for their Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) broadband installation project (see left)

There is some better news from the company, who have said that they will now start on final remedial works to verges and other grassed areas which were damaged when work continued during the recent poor weather.

They have also said that they will start to replace the bitmac temporary reinstatements which were an ugly feature of the works in streets such as Stuart Road. The original concrete finish will be re-established.

Any improvement will be welcomed by residents who have had to suffer  major inconvenience over the last 5 months.

We doubt if the footpaths will ever be returned to their original condition.

New plans to cut congestion on York outer ring road roundabout near Monks Cross

City of York Council is sharing proposals to cut congestion and journey times on one of York’s busiest roads.

Residents and businesses have until Friday 1 June to view and comment on designs to upgrade the outer ring road’s Monks Cross roundabout. A leaflet can be downloaded from here

This will be the second of seven A1237 roundabouts set for major improvements over the next four years – a total £38 million programme funded through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund. The council is starting work on the first junction improvement at Wetherby Road this summer.

The roundabout upgrades will mean more lanes and space on the approaches and exits. Where possible the road layouts will be designed to accommodate the potential future scheme to bring the outer ring road up to dual carriageway standard.  The Monks Cross roundabout improvement works are planned for early 2019, although some site clearance work could start earlier.

 

Plans can be viewed online at www.york.gov.uk/yorr, at the council’s West Offices on Station Rise, YO1 6GA, or at two special public exhibitions at Monks Cross Shopping Centre management suite (in the corner by New Look) between 1 and 6pm on Tuesday 8 May and Tuesday 22 May.

All comments will be reviewed and changes to the design made where possible.  The decision on the final layout will be taken at a public Executive Member for Transport and Planning Decision Session meeting later in the year.

The York Outer Ring Road improvements programme is being funded through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, and the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

Big increase in potholes as ice takes its toll

Some of the worst potholes have appeared on the Castle car park,. They are a hazard for pedestrians and could damage vehicles. The Council needs to take swift action to fill them in.

Councillors have been out and about reporting highway defects like this one on Askham Lane. Cllr Sheena Jackson has reported potholes on Walker Drive

Sheena has also been engaged with Talk Talks broadband installation programme. There has been more surface damage to roads and footpaths than was expected in some areas.

Bad week for traffic congestion in York

It’s been a bad week for traffic congestion in York. Mostly seems to be down to road works with some – like the installation of a new pedestrian crossing on Thanet Road, near the Foxwood Lane junction running several days behind schedule.

The Councils twitter links seem to be off the pace with neither @iTravel nor @york_travel ‏offering much help.

You can check traffic conditions before setting out by visiting this web page https://roadworks.org/

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