Road repairs are continuing on North Yorkshire's largely deserted highways during lockdown

As key employees make into work in almost record times, North Yorkshire County Council said it is taking the government's guidance around social distancing and the need for workers to stay safe "very seriously" as it continues send out its staff and contractors to maintenance jobs.

Coun Don Mackenzie, the council's Executive Member for Access, said: "It is vital that the network remains safe. While, quite rightly, far fewer of us are travelling, it is important that the standard of our roads is maintained.

"NHS staff, social care workers, teachers, delivery drivers and others providing essential services at this very difficult time do not need the extra burden of worrying about the condition of the roads or footways they need to travel.

"The fact that traffic levels on our roads are reduced to a minimum means that our repair work can be carried out quickly, efficiently and with little or no disruption."

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The official government guidance says construction work on roads and streets can continue - as long as it is in accordance with rules set out by Public Health England and industry leaders.

North Yorkshire County Council said it has received more than 500 service requests from customers and highways officers since the government restrictions were brought in - and contractors have carried out almost 800 repairs on the county’s highways network.

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The authority's annual surface dressing programme - which sees hundreds of miles of roads refreshed - is also still set to go ahead, but will initially focus on rural roads where social distancing measures can be followed more easily.

Coun Mackenzie said: “We take the safety of our employees and contractors very seriously and are observing the guidance on social distancing.”

"All of this work contributes to the safe, efficient operation of the highways network so other key workers can do what they need to do.”

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter

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