Projects reported “on target” to meet promised completion dates

The Wetherby Road roundabout improvement is on course to meet its expected Spring 2019 completion date. In total the improvement will take around 40 weeks to construct.

Wetherby Road speed sign missing for over a year now

The design of the improvement has raised concerns that the speeds of vehicles leaving the junction may be higher than are currently recorded.
In turn, that has prompted some residents on Wetherby Road to ask for the missing flashing speed warning sign to be reinstated. The sign on the odd numbered side of the road has been missing for over a year now. When it was last in place, around 20% of passing vehicles caused it to operate.
A petition is being collected asking for the flashing signs to be modernised. Residents are also calling for an occasional visit by the North Yorkshire Police speed camera van. There are already signs in place warning that there are speed cameras in the area (there aren’t any fixed cameras in this location or anywhere else in York for that matter).
Nearby York Civic Trust engineers have confirmed that they will complete the restoration of the stonework on the Acomb War Memorial before 11th November.
A Service of Remembrance is scheduled to take place then with wreaths being laid at around 11:00am.
The York Council has not yet confirmed that it will complete work on trimming trees and branches in the garden of remembrance before the service. Work on providing an improved access for disabled people is also outstanding.

Bogus speed camera sign on Wetherby Road

Work on Wetherby Road roundabout proceeding on schedule

Acomb war memorial

 

 

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

Wetherby Road roundabout upgrades – Wetherby Road closed for 4 days from 24th September

The Wetherby Road roundabout upgrade will move a step closer to completion next week when we start resurfacing works on the roundabout and approach roads.

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

To keep disruption to a minimum work will take place overnight from 8pm – 5am, weather permitting. The work is programmed to take place in three phases, these are:

Phase 1 (10 September – 14 September, 8pm – 5am): Work will be carried out off the carrigeway with the A1237 and Wetherby Road being open as normal. There may be short periods where portable traffic lights are utilised on the A1237 to allow for tie-ing into the existing road

Phase 2 (17 September to 21 September, 8pm – 5am): Work will be carried out off the carrigeway with the A1237 and Wetherby Rd being open as normal. There may be short periods where portable traffic lights are utilised on the A1237 to allow for tie-ing into the existing road

Phase 3 (24 September to 28 September, 8pm – 5am): Wetherby Road closed from the junction of Beckfield Lane to the A1237. 3-way traffic lights will be in operation on the A1237 and Rufforth arm of Wetherby Road with traffic down to a single lane.

In order to carry out the works in Phase 3 safely the use of a temporary road closure on Wetherby Road will be necessary whilst works are taking place. A signed diversion route will be in place.

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

Iron Age artefacts unearthered at Wetherby Road roundabout

Typical iron age roundhouse

City of York Council and York Archaeological Trust have discovered evidence of what appears to be a prehistoric settlement during the York outer ring road works at Wetherby Road roundabout.

The earliest discovery appears to date from the Iron Age, roughly 2,500 years ago. This discovery is a large ring ditch which could have been a possible enclosure or roundhouse. It measures approximately 16 meteres making it one of the biggest to be unearthed in York. Unfortunately, none of the postholes have survived over the thousands of years but pits and what looks to be a hearth have been found.

A nearby ditch has also produced a series of finds, including decorated pottery fragments, a fragment of quern-stone and industrial waste material in the form of molten slag. Fragments of possible pumice-stone, a volcanic rock not found locally, have also been discovered. These could point to connections with the wider prehistoric world at that time.

The finds were made during work to improve theWetherby Road roundabout. This is the first of seven roundabouts on the A1237 set for improvements over the next four years. The upgrades will mean more lanes and space on the approaches and exits, as well as improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

Ian Milsted, Head of Archaeology for York Archaeological Trust, said ‘We’re excited to have recovered this important  information and will now analyse the finds to understand the story of the people who lived here before the Romans founded the city. We’re also very pleased to have successfully recovered the archaeology without disrupting the roadworks, which we will continue to monitor’.

Finds have also been made to the north of the enclosure with a series of other ditches that may indicate field boundaries associated with the settlement.

There is evidence of similar activity from later periods as well, with medieval ditches cutting through the exisiting ones, showing how the agricultural landscape has changed over the centuries. These important discovery adds to the growing body of evidence for late prehistoric settlement around York.

York Archaelogical Trust have present on site from the start of the works after we requested their help to identify and preserve any possible sites of historical interest.

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

Wetherby Road/The Green, Acomb – pedestrian changes confirmed as part of larger programme

A slightly revised layout at The Green/Wetherby Road junction is proposed in a Council report published this week

City of York council is set to invest £50k to improve or install new pedestrian crossings on several streets in York. These include

  • a potential new zebra crossing on Heworth Green
  • improvements to a central refuge on Wetherby Road near Danebury Drive
  • pavement build-outs on Huntington Road near Lowther Street
  • slight alterations to the crossing and link path on University Road opposite Heslington Hall
  • improvements to the crossings on New Lane in Huntington either side of the Jockey Lane mini-roundabout
  • provision of a new section of footway on Main Street in Copmanthorpe.

Several other sites will be improved using the city’s dropped kerb programme.

To view a full list of where all the proposed improvements will be made click here,

Officials have ranked the schemes in priority order according to the benefit achieved with Huntington Road at the top, followed by Wetherby Road, University Road, Heworth Green, New Lane and Main Street, Copmanthorpe. If approved, it’s recommended that the schemes are implemented in this sequence.

The Decision Session takes place on 12 July at West Offices from 2pm and is open to members of the public or is available to watch later online from: www.york.gov.uk/webcasts

Wetherby Road roundabout upgrades to start next week

 City of York Council is reminding residents, businesses and visitors that work will start on Monday at the Wetherby Road roundabout on the outer ring road.

The works mark the start of a £38m programme to reduce congestion and journey times on one of York’s busiest roads.

 

Work will take place from approximately 7.30am – 4pm, Monday – Friday. Some extended work until 8pm and weekend working will take place to ensure the overall construction period is kept to a minimum.

To ensure work can take place safely we will need to slightly narrow the lanes to make room, and a temporary speed limit reduction to 30mph on the approach and exits of the roundabout will be in place. Generally two way flow will be maintained throughout the construction period although we will need to change the traffic management arrangements and potentially work overnight for more disruptive work, including resurfacing.

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

Wetherby Road roundabout improvements – public consultation results published

The Council has revealed that 170 responses were received to its consultation on the design of the new Wetherby Road/A1237 roundabout.

In a report to a meeting taking place next week, officials claim that “as far as possible” the final design takes into account public views.

Officials highlight the following specific changes

  1. Proposed widening of the footway on the southern side of the
    B1224 to provide shared pedestrian/cycle route standard to
    enable users to cross at surface level to the B1224 heading
    west (see para 13 above)
  2. Proposed maintenance lay-by incorporated into the roundabout
    island
  3. Increase in provision of landscaping around the junction and
    on the roundabout island

The main issues raised by residents were:

  • The roundabout should include designated pedestrian / cyclist
    facilities
  • Spending money on this roundabout, and all the other roundabouts, is deemed “a waste of money”
  • Additional signing / road markings are required to ensure that
    vehicles merge in turn as part of the upgraded roundabout
    proposals
  •  The A1237 should be dualled
  •  The scheme is a good idea

A full list of the views expressed can be viewed by clicking here

The improvement is expected to cost £3.6 million

If approved, work on the roundabout is expected to start in June.

Separately from the roundabout scheme, work is progressing on providing an off road cycle/pedestrian link from Rufforth to Acomb

Site clearance at Wetherby Road roundabout starts

Marks milestone in £38m scheme to reduce journey times on outer ring road

The start of a £38m scheme to reduce journey times on York’s Outer Ring Road move a step closer next week as site clearance works start at the Wetherby Road roundabout.

Public consultation on the design  of the new roundabout only finished on 2nd February. The results of the consultation have yet to be reported to any Council committee.

Nevertheless the Council have issued a statement saying, “It is the first of seven roundabouts on the Outer Ring Road set for major improvements, including wider entrances and exits and improved pedestrian and cycling facilities.

The council is undertaking site clearance work, ahead of the main construction planned to start in June, to avoid impacting on nesting birds.

This will include removal of existing hedges and saplings along the highway boundary to facilitate the widening of the roundabout and approach roads.

Replacement hedging and saplings will be planted along the line of the new highway boundary as part of the main roundabout construction scheme”.