New lane closure in Harrogate town centre hits weary motorists after summer of disruption
Harrogate drivers can breathe a sigh of relief today as a summer of lengthy delays caused by roadworks appears to be over.
Multiway traffic signals, single lane traffic and temporary road closures have been a feature of travelling on the A59 for the last two months.
The rolling programme, which began at the top of Starbeck High Street and, eventually, moved all the way along Knaresborough Road towards the Empress roundabout, was to enable Northern Powergrid to implement a £200,000 project to upgrade the capacity of the electricity network.
The resultant traffic chaos and gridlocked scenes has made Knaresborough Road an almost no-go area for many commuters travelling to and from Harrogate town centre or out towards Knaresborough.
But today for the first time in a long time, traffic is flowing freely all along Knaresborough Road.
But motorists should take heed; Harrogate and Knaresborough in general are still awash in roadworks in all directions.
In fact, anyone passing through the Empress roundabout on the way to North Park Road or York Place should take note that a new temporary single lane system has just begun at the entrance/exit to the roundabout on that side.
Tackling the district’s potholes and resurfacing roads by the highways authority is only a small part of the issue.
Most disruption is related to utility work as a result of the massive housing expansion of the past decade.
For more information on roadworks and road closures, visit North Yorkshire Council’s interactive road works map at: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/roads-and-pavements/roadworks-map