COUNTY Bridge in Malton has reopened to vehicles.

The bridge is also open to pedestrians.

Church Street in Norton remains closed while pumps are in operation.

The current list of road closures in Ryedale is:

  • Evers Road, Scrayingham (the middle road is open)
  • Ings Lane, Muscoates
  • Low Marshes

The Coulton to Hovingham Road, Helmsley is 'passable with care'.

 

 

Last Friday's report:

North Yorkshire County Council highways manager Richard Marr said: "The river levels have passed the height at which our engineers feel comfortable with traffic and pedestrians using the structure. The river level has risen 300mm overnight."

Church Street is Norton remains closed while temporary pumps are in place with a diversion via St Nicholas Street.

Work is also underway on a gully underneath the road.

The Environment Agency said: "The Upper River Derwent flood alert remains in force. Levels continue to be high in the Malton area and flood warnings remain in force.

"Levels are likely to remain high in the catchment over the coming days as further showers are forecast over the weekend."

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue are active in the town. They said crews are currently dealing with flooding in Malton using submersible pumps and a flood boom to redirect water to the River Derwent.

Ryedale District and Town Councillor Di Keal said: "I am delighted to see that North Yorkshire County Council is using some common sense at last and installing the emergency pumping gulley under Church Street today whilst the road is still closed.

"We have only waited three years for this to happen, but many thanks to the five very wet guys who are digging it out right now.

"Now all we need is Network Rail to do the same and put a gulley under the rail track.

"This isn't the best solution - we really need greater capacity in permanent pumps - but it will help to avoid the chaos we have seen since Boxing Day."

The main route between Malton and Norton was been closed for almost a week over the Christmas period due to safety concerns over the high level of the River Derwent.

 

 

Last Tuesday's report:

COUNTY Bridge in Malton is not expected to reopen today (Tuesday).

A North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) bridge engineer is due to inspect the bridge at some point during the day.

NYCC Highways manager Richard Marr said: "Looking at the current river levels and the slow rate at which the river is dropping, I doubt the engineer will feel comfortable allowing the bridge to open today.

"I am sure there will be some criticism levelled at Highways and claims that we are being over cautious, but there are valid engineering reasons for waiting for the water level to drop.

"I am sure those who do criticise us would be the same people who would be critical of us if we opened it too early and something happen.

"We are hopeful for better news on Wednesday."

County Bridge closed on Monday over concerns from structural engineers.

Flood waters rose to 4.66m - over two metres above the usual level for the River Derwent.

The highest previously recorded in 2012 was 5.03m.

Church Street in Norton is also closed to traffic while highway officials brought in emergency pumps.

Levels had started to rise on Boxing Day when several properties in the centre of Norton were affected by sewage.

They included homes on Welham Road, St Nicholas Street, Bark Knotts Terrace and Bruntswood Terrace.

Kathlyn Youngson, who lives in Welham Road, said they had woken at 8.30am on Saturday to 14inches of sewage water under their floorboards.

"We spent five hours pumping it out which is not the ideal way to spend Boxing Day," she added.

"It is high time something is done with the sewage system in Norton."

Norton and Ryedale Councillor Di Keal, who lives in St Nicholas Street, said it was high time action was taken to prevent further flooding.

"It has taken three years to produce a report from the last serious flooding and we are still waiting," she added.

"£10.3million has been spent on the flood defences in Malton and Norton and we continue to be threatened."

Coun Keal added: "We need another pump in Church Street like the one at Mill Beck and the support we have been promised."

North Yorkshire County Council's highways manager Richard Marr said the County Bridge had been closed as a precaution and would reopen when the arches were visible.

"The Environment Agency has said the river my rise again over night and will assess the situation again in the morning," he added.

"County Bridge is one of the stronger ones structurally but we were advised to close it as a precaution."

Mr Marr said NYCC now needed to work with Yorkshire Water to coordinate the work needed in Church Street.

"The problem is that we have been trying to please to many people by considering the issues of noise and disruption," he added.

"We know Yorkshire Water have a lot of work to do in Norton so we need to co-ordinate with that."

River levels also rose in Old Malton with the centre closed to traffic and emergency services on the scene.