Highways chiefs call for A64 action plan (From Gazette & Herald)

Highways chiefs call for A64 action plan

THE LONG-RUNNING campaign to upgrade the bottleneck A64 York to Scarborough road - which has one of the worst accident records in the north of England - is set to get a big boost as a result of a report by highway chiefs.

North Yorkshire County Council's highways department is calling for a 13-point action plan to be carried out, including the dualling of two stretches which the Highways Agency merely plans to improve to "modern single carriageway standard".

Other measures on the drawing board include improving safety, encouraging the transfer of freight from road to rail and improving the stretch of road between the Malton bypass and Seamer.

Mike Moore, the country council's director of environmental services, said the action plan resulted from the recent route management strategy carried out by the Highways Agency at Barton-le-Willows, Sherburn, Malton, Rillington, Welburn, Scarborough and York.

About 1,500 people visited the exhibitions, said Mr Moore in a report to the county council's Ryedale area committee, and so far there had been 2,000 responses from the public.

The strategy is a plan for the management and operation of the notorious road over the next decade to help the local and regional economy and improve accessibility and environmental conditions.

The work planned by the Highways Agency includes the development process for the Rillington bypass, which is now under way, said Mr Moore.

"It is intended to make sure that future investment represents good value for money, is affordable and deliverable and makes best use of the existing road," he said.

Mr Moore and his department have given reactions to the agency's plans for the A64 in the Ryedale area.

He said safety measures to reduce the accident rate were backed, along with speed management measures including traffic calming and crossing facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

A major part of the NYCC officers' report is for the Highways Agency to carry out a detailed study of the A64 - known as a multi-modal study - and for the development of the Malton and Norton management strategy, with the specific aim of pin-pointing and prioritising the need for improved access to the A64.

Mr Moore said his department was also supporting improved bus and rail services, especially the feasibility probe into the Malton to Pickering rail link.

In addition, Mr Moore urges the development of variable message signing on the A64 on the approaches to York and Scarborough, extending and improving footpaths and cycleways and making environmental improvements in villages along the trunk road.

Lighting is also to be improved in villages where there have been night-time accidents.

In the four to ten-year period of the management plan, Mr Moore says the stretch of the A64 between the Hopgrove and Barton-le-Willows should be upgraded to dual carriageway as should the stretch between Welburn and the Malton bypass.

The North Yorkshire East Coroner, Michael Oakley, recently called for the Welburn to Malton bypass stretch to be improved because of its bad accident record - some 12 deaths in six years.

He said facilities for all road users, including HGVs, on the A64 were "minimal" and he backed new and better facilities.

Updated: 09:37 Thursday, April 04, 2002