A64 a death-trap says bypass campaigner (From Gazette & Herald)

A64 a death-trap says bypass campaigner Mike Knaggs

3:40pm Wednesday 11th November 2009 in News By David Jeffels

THE A64 is not capable of carrying today’s volume of traffic and as a result has become “a death trap”, members of North Yorkshire County Council’s Ryedale Area Committee were told last week.

The broadside came from Malton councillor Mike Knaggs, a seasoned campaigner for major improvements to be carried out, who added: “The A64 is completely out-of-date and until it is improved accidents will continue to happen.”

There was further criticism about the road from County Coun Clare Wood, who described the surface in the Sand Hutton area as “appalling”, adding: “I do wonder whether if it is part of some kind of speed restriction device.”

She added that Barton Hill crossroads needed to be treated as a priority because of the volume of traffic in the area – around 22,000 vehicles a day. “It is completely terrifying, crossing the junctions to access the A64,” said Coun Wood.

As a member of the Regional Transport Board, she was pressing for the A64 to be given a higher rating in the trunk road improvement programme for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Coun David Lloyd-Williams said: “Maybe a change of government next year may lead to a change of thinking.”

He suggested that some of the billions of pounds invested in the banks following their collapse earlier this year, should have been put into road building to help revive the national economy, as happened in recessions decades ago when the Humber Bridge and power stations were built.

“Ryedale will suffer unless we get the A64 upgraded,” said Coun Lloyd-Williams.

County Coun Ron Haigh, who has been one of the campaigners pressing for an early start on the £7 million Rillington bypass, said the next step was to get a study carried out on the entire A64. There was mounting pressure for Rillington to get a bypass and Government transport ministers were now being urged to give it the go-ahead.

Coun Lloyd-Williams added that a bypass for Sherburn was also on the drawing board and needed to be given priority.

A meeting is to be held between the police and the bypass action group in Rillington on November 24 to explore what road safety improvements could be made in the short-term in the village.

Schemes to resurface stretches of the A64 are to be carried out shortly, said Andy Brown, the road’s project manager. Whitwell-on-the-Hill, is expected to be done in the current financial year, along with others at Sand Hutton, Knapton, Ganton and East Heslerton.

He added that the preliminary designs for an eastbound exit sliproad from the A64 at Brambling Fields had not been completed. The scheme, being jointly funded by North Yorkshire County Council and Ryedale District Council, is now to go forward for detailed design, a formal planning application and land acquisition, said Mr Brown.