THE fate of the notorious A64 Colton Lane End gap will be decided in November.

Highways Agency staff say they will choose then whether the gap, closed temporarily amid safety fears, should stay shut permanently.

The closure followed two fatal accidents involving vehicles passing through the gap while crossing the dual carriageway.

The fatalities sparked the Evening Press' Close the Gaps campaign to shut all gaps on the A64 between York and Tadcaster.

The announcement was made during a packed meeting at Bilbrough, near York, where another of the dangerous gaps, at Bilbrough Top, is to be kept open until a new flyover is built, which could take several years.

Peter Moffatt, area manager for the Highways Agency and Chris Holehouse, project manager for the improvements, answered residents' questions at the meeting, chaired by Selby MP John Grogan.

Fears were expressed after it was revealed that the Copmanthorpe traffic lights on the A64 will be removed in the spring.

"If you remove the traffic lights before carrying out improvements to the Bilbrough Top junction it's going to be even more dangerous because there will be a free flow of unhindered traffic," said one concerned resident.

Other residents suggested imposing slower speed limits but Mr Moffatt said: "We've done a speed survey and the average speed is 64mph. It's not our intention to reduce the speed limit because traffic's not going at a great speed."

Sam Esler, another resident of the village, said: "If the gap at Bilbrough Top is not going to be closed the Highways Agency should work out a system whereby people know who has right of way.

"Over the bank holiday there were five or six vehicles in that gap and the drivers were all looking at one another to find out who would go first.

"It's like Russian roulette."

Villagers also expressed fears that construction work on the flyover would cause drivers to detour through the village. Jeane Denoon, of Cat Lane, said: "When the A64 is blocked we get traffic coming round our corner at 60mph."

Meanwhile, another resident, Daniel Yodaiken, revealed one of the no U-turn signs at the gap had disappeared.

"I think somebody crashed into it," he said.

The Highways Agency promised to replace it.