THE bill for a flyover at North Yorkshire's worst accident blackspot is more than £2 million higher than the Highways Agency expected, a councillor claimed today.

The apparent discrepancy between the agency's original estimate for the A64 flyover at Bilbrough Top and the tenders now received was raised in a letter to Selby District Council chief executive Martin Connor.

The Evening Press revealed last week that work on the flyover, due to start this month, could not now go ahead until at least the autumn because of the hike in costs.

The agency says a gap in the central reservation, which has been implicated in a number of accidents in recent years, including two fatal ones, cannot be closed until the flyover work starts.

Local councillor Brian Percival has asked for full council to discuss the delay at a meeting tonight, asking it to state that the further delay is "totally unacceptable" and press again for immediate closure.

"The crisis that the Highways Agency find themselves in is that apparently the tenders they have received are in excess of £2m greater than their £4.5m budget," he said.

"This demonstrates a lack of expertise in costing for these style of works that leaves the community wondering whether there are any other aspects of the project that have been similarly incorrectly identified.

"The greater the delay in closing the gap is seen by the community of Appleton Roebuck as a sign that the Highways Agency do not have a commitment for the works.

"And there is no longer confidence, having been given public statements for the commencement of the work, first in Easter and then to find that it is put off by six months."

When the council called for immediate closure of the gap last autumn, following a fatal accident, the agency said it could not close it because it would need to go out to public consultation, including the possibility of a public inquiry.

Coun Percival said the delay was now greater than the time that would have been required for such a consultation.

The Highways Agency was today unavailable for comment.

Updated: 10:34 Tuesday, June 17, 2003