SO the bill for closing the Bilbrough Gap on the A64 and building a flyover is too high (June 13). Surely the best solution is to close the gap and not bother with the flyover.

The only people who seem to use it are those trying to access the services on the southbound carriageway while travelling northbound, which is surprising given that there are equivalent services on the northbound carriageway just before the gap.

I can only conclude from this that the fast food delights of the southbound carriageway are responsible for this behaviour and they are generating sufficient traffic to warrant another flyover.

Wouldn't it be better to stop pampering to these multi-nationals, to close the gap and to not bother with the flyover? This would save money and prevent yet another bit of motorway clutter on this bit of the A64.

Michael Fountain,

Trafalgar Street, York.

...I HAVE a very simple solution to the Highways Agency's problem of funding the A64 flyover. They should scrap a similar proposal for a flyover on the A1 at Rainton which is totally unnecessary and will no doubt be costing the usual several million pounds.

This scheme is not required as there are two other flyover crossings one mile to both the south and north of this junction.

Having lived in Ripon for two years and visited Rainton regularly I didn't once use the suicidal junction to cross the A1 but drove or rode the extra one mile to be safe. They should just close the central reservation and allocate the funds elsewhere.

The proposal to upgrade this section of the A1 to motorway status shortly is a further reason for not proceeding with this scheme which was surprisingly supported by the local MP.

Resurfacing the Thirsk bypass or the M1 at Garforth used to be my priority, but I'm quite willing to support the A64 flyover instead.

David Holliday,

Long Furrow,

Haxby,

York.

Updated: 11:16 Monday, June 16, 2003