Harrogate motorists anger as new road closure causes huge tailbacks today
Harrogate motorists are in a fury about a new double whammy of traffic chaos in a key part of the town's road system.
Today the entire area round Knaresborough Road, Starbeck and Hookstone has been hit by two different set of roadworks.
One has closed Starbeck level crossing to all vehicles coming or going along Starbeck High Street.
The other involves temporary traffic lights on Forest Lane.
Both sets of roadworks are to last until Wednesday, June 11.
One angry driver, who asked the Harrogate Advertiser to remain anonymous, said: "The sign on Starbeck High Street says that the road is closed for four days but the 11th of June is actually six days.
"It’s already causing chaos in all directions, not just for cars and lorries but for buses in Harrogate.
"Drivers are being forced to either use Bogs Lane, which isn’t built for lots of traffic or queue up on Forest Lane and get to town by going up Hookstone.”
North Yorkshire Council’s interactive roadmap at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/roads-and-pavements/roadworks-map shows that the two roadworks are for different reasons.
1 Forest Lane: North Yorkshire Council – Highway Repair and Maintenance Works.
2 Road closure Starbeck High Street – Yorkshire Water.
For any vehicles planning to reroute via Hookstone, there is an additional difficulty.
Current road works at Hookstone Drive courtesy of Northern Gas Networks are causing tailbacks – and those are expected to last until June 27.
One piece of good news is Bond End disruption seems to be easing today.