A LIST of 18 schemes are on the drawing board to improve the busy A64 trunk road over the next two years.

One of the key projects will be the second phase of safety improvements at Barton Hill near Malton, for which County Councillor Clare Wood, who represents the area at County Hall, has been campaigning.

Welcoming the news, she says the work will see significant road safety work at a well-known accident black spot which has seen several fatal accidents over the years, and for which Coroner Michael Oakley has also added his concerns.

That scheme is due start in April.

Resurfacing work is scheduled at West Heslerton, Whitwell to Crambeck Bridge stretch, the Pickering interchange, Rillington Fields, Claxton to Sand Hutton, Barton, High Hutton, Golden Hill, East Heslerton and Ganton.

On-going drainage work is being carried out at Knapton and Brambling Fields. Ms Foster said there would be a need for overnight closures of sections of the road in October to enable the upgrading work to be carried out before next winter.