Step forward in bid to dual 'nightmare' road (From Gazette & Herald)

Step forward in bid to dual 'nightmare' road

TRANSPORT minister David Jamieson is to meet a top level delegation headed by Ryedale MP John Greenway in the campaign to have the A64 made a dual-carriageway along its full stretch from York to Scarborough.

Mr Greenway told the Gazette & Herald this week: "The road has become a nightmare."

With the start of the holiday season, the legendary queues of traffic heading to Ryedale's tourist spots and the Yorkshire coast resorts, has already started.

Mr Greenway said: "The general feeling is that the recent public consultation carried out by the Highways Agency was a waste of time."

Mr Jamieson has now responded to Mr Greenway saying that he will meet him together with a deputation from Ryedale District Council, Scarborough Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council later this year when the Highways Agency has compiled its reply to the response to the public exhibitions which were held in several Ryedale towns and villages in February.

A decision date is still awaited on the Rillington bypass but Mr Jamieson had referred to the scheme in reply to a recent letter Mr Greenway wrote on behalf of one of his constituents in the bottleneck village. "It has obviously not slipped the department's mind," said Mr Greenway.

Meanwhile, Julian Rudd, Ryedale council's local plans and conservation manager, in a major report on the A64 says: "There is a strong case to dual the single carriageway sections of the A64 between York and Scarborough."

In a report to the authority's policy and resources committee, he said that despite the Highway Agency's plans to carry out safety improvements on the trunk road it was questionable whether the work could be carried out without upgrading the road.

"Although traffic levels on the York to Scarborough section are lower than on the A1 to York stretch, the experience of road users within the Ryedale area is of several accident blackspots, certain dangerous junctions and bends, significant congestion and frustration in the holiday season and conflict with slow-moving traffic."

Mr Rudd added that while steps were being taken to build a bypass around Rillington, there were other villages in the Ryedale area which were also affected by the heavy traffic on the A64. He also said that while there was a need to take care within the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, there was a strong case to dual the road.

"The A64 matters to people in Ryedale. People want measures to reduce the toll of accidents, deaths and serious injuries that occur with alarming regularity. Local people and visitors want an end to miles of crawling traffic. There needs to be significant physical improvements to the junctions on the A64 around Malton and Norton to take heavy traffic out of the congested town centres and out of residential areas, and to encourage economic activity."

In addition, added Mr Rudd, urgent action is needed to reduce 'the harmful impact' of the heavily-trafficked road on the villages it passes through between Malton and Scarborough.

"The route management strategy provides an exciting opportunity to improve the things that concern users of the A64. Success could bring a real improvement to the lives of many local people."

Ryedale council has agreed to work with North Yorkshire County Council on the traffic management strategy which is being drawn up for Malton and Norton this year.

Tough talking on road deaths toll, p5

Updated: 09:48 Thursday, April 25, 2002