New push to dual the 'deadly' A64 (From Gazette & Herald)

New push to dual the 'deadly' A64

RYEDALE councillors are being urged to press for the full dualling of the A64 York to Scarborough road - and not to settle for the modest improvements being planned.

The district council's policy and resources committee will be told on Thursday that there is a strong case for further asssessments to be carried out in regards to the dualling of the entire road.

Julian Rudd, the authority's plans and conservation manager who is responsible for long-term development blueprints for Ryedale, said: "People want action to reduce the toll of accidents, deaths and serious injuries that occur with alarming regularity on the A64.

"Local people, visitors and businesses want an end to miles of crawling traffic that occurs at peak times, leading to large variations in journey times and to tailback behind slow-moving 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 our residential areas, and to encourage economic activity."

Urgent improvements were needed to reduce what Mr Rudd described as "the harmful impact" of the A64 on villages between

Malton and Scarborough and in particular for "the speedy implementation" of the long-awaited Rillington by-pass - due to start in 2006 at a cost of £6.4m.

"For all these reasons there is a strong case for dualling the A64 between York and Scarborough."

The Highways Agency, in recent years, has been proposing to carry out a number of smaller-scale improvements to the A64, rather than full dualling.

A recent study carried out by consultants Steer Davies Gleave said that major improvements to the road would cut deaths by 22 per cent and casualties by 57 per cent.

Mr Rudd added: "The clear message, that there is a case for upgrading beyond the level currently planned by the Highways Agency, is massively welcome."

He said the district council had "serious questions" on whether it was possible to bring about the necessary safety improvements, and upgrades in the road, without upgrading the single carriageway sections of the A64 to dual carriageway.

Updated: 11:06 Monday, October 06, 2003