A NORTON and Ryedale District councillor has praised a multi-million-pound improvement to a major road junction in North Yorkshire.

The upgrade to Junction 47 on the A1(M) links both the dual carriageway, as well as the A59 running east to west and serving key destinations including York, Skipton and Lancashire.

The scheme involved the widening of three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as a number of junction improvements.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and also the representative for Norton East Ward at Ryedale District Council, said: “The upgrades to Junction 47 have made a significant difference, reducing congestion and improving road safety.

“The scheme unlocks future growth in and around Harrogate, with the changes helping to manage significant residential and commercial development anticipated along the A59 corridor.

“We are proud to have worked together with public and private partners to deliver this key improvement for the benefit of residents, visitors and employers.”

The project has been supported by £2.47m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund, secured by York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Y&NY LEP), along with contributions from North Yorkshire County Council, National Highways and the developer, Forward Investment LLP.

The chairman of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Infrastructure and Joint Assets Board, David Dickson, added: “The region benefits from better east-west connectivity. This much improved junction unlocks the opportunity for further economic growth across York and North Yorkshire.”

Gazette & Herald: The scheme involved the widening of three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as a number of junction improvementsThe scheme involved the widening of three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as a number of junction improvements

Venue director at Harrogate Convention Centre, which hosts an estimated 150,000 conference and trade delegates with an economic impact of £35m on local hospitality businesses on average each year, Paula Lorimer, said: “We welcome the upgrade as it has significantly reduced congestion and improved road safety for our visitors.

“The shortened travel time strengthens our competitive advantage and will help us bring more large-scale events to Harrogate.”

Challenges encountered on the project resulted in it being estimated to have gone £2.3 million over budget.

It was first planned with a budget of £7.7 million but was estimated to have cost £10 million in September 2021.

The latest estimated costs are the subject of detailed discussions with North Yorkshire County Council’s contractor.

According to the county council, the exact cost will be publicly available once they have been agreed with the contractor.

Delays were caused by the discovery of a protected species, great crested newts, which had to be relocated under law.

Further delays included poor ground conditions and Covid which limited timescales and introduced strict measures that had to be complied with.