York warned: get ready for YEARS of traffic misery

A raft of major developments and road improvement schemes will see traffic in the city disrupted right through to 2025 and beyond, council bosses say.

The disruption motorists and other road users will face will range from full road closures to lane closures and temporary traffic management lights.

The council is so concerned about the impact the roadworks will have that it has issued an upfront warning. The message: 'York is open for business - but PLEASE plan your journey ahead'.

- WATCH: Council video setting out details of traffic schemes

The major schemes in the pipeline include new road infrastructure for the York Central site; changes to the road layout in front of the railway station; and the dualling of the outer ring road.

In addition, other projects already causing disruption - such as repairs to the road bridges on the A1237, and drainage works on Tadcaster Road – will continue.

There will also be other, shorter-term road closures for issues such as water mains or gas repairs which will add to the disruption, council bosses say.

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The multi-million investment in the city’s roads network will lead to improvements in the long term – but real pain in the short-term, council bosses acknowledge.

York’s new Labour executive member for transport Cllr Pete Kilbane said the key message to all motorists and travellers over the next 18 months and beyond was: ‘Check before you travel’.

There will be major traffic disruption in York for months if not years to come, council bosses have warned (Image: Agency)

He said: “We are investing millions of pounds in the roads network of York. Once done, it will be great.

“It is going to be frustrating, and we feel for residents. But it will be short term pain for long term gain.”

The major development projects in the pipeline which will affect traffic in York include:

•  York Central: disruption expected until mid-2025 at least. There will be temporary traffic signals and other traffic management in place for at least the next 12-18 months in Leeman Road and Station Rise, plus overnight closure of the Leeman Road for plant deliveries and, at some point in 2025, a lengthy full closure of the tunnel to allow work to be done. There will also, at some point, need to be a lengthy closure of the Westbound lane of Water End. The work will make it possible to deliver up to 2,500 new homes and the potential for 6500 jobs in office space on the redeveloped York Central site, the council says
•  Tadcaster Road: ongoing roadworks to improve drainage and minimise the risk in future of surface rainwater flooding will continue until the autumn, the council says.
•  Installation of anti-terror bollards in the city centre. This is ongoing, with an end-date not yet determined.
•  A1237 bridge repairs: night-time maintenance work has been extended until July 21
•  Railway station 'gateway'. A major programme of work to improve access to the front of the railway station (including the demolition of the Queen Street Bridge) is not expected to begin until this autumn – but is likely to last a long time.
•  A1237 dualling: a planning application to upgrade the city’s outer ring road has been submitted with the ultimate aim of reducing congestion, moving car journeys out of the city centre and improving active travel facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

The council says that detailed plans for individual schemes will be publicised well in advance – including details of signposted diversions – to enable people to continue to navigate their way around the city as easily as possible.

“But owing to the scale of the works being progressed it is not possible to deliver without some level of disruption to the network,” a council spokesperson said.