Preparation is to begin on Monday, 7 March, to carry out further safety improvements at Dibbles Bridge, which crosses the River Dibb on the B6265 between Hebden and Pateley Bridge.
The County Council introduced additional measures to improve safety at the bridge last year, including extra warning signs and a temporary barrier, and will now install a permanent safety fence on one side of the bridge. Once this is installed, the temporary barrier will be removed. The work will be completed before the Tour de Yorkshire travels the route at the end of April.
Erection of scaffolding will begin on Monday and is expected to take two weeks. During this time, traffic lights will be in place. Work will then be carried out to strengthen the bridge’s parapet before the fence is put in place.
North Yorkshire, UK
In total, the work is expected to take about seven weeks. The road is scheduled to be closed fully between 21 March and 24 March when the bridge parapet will be taken down for repair. This closure will be dependent on weather conditions. A daytime closure is scheduled between 8am and 4.30pm from 4 April for two weeks when panels will be installed on top of the parapet. Diversions will be in place. The road will be open for the Easter bank holiday weekend.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Highways, said:
Safety on the roads is always a priority for the council and we believe these measures will improve safety at this location.
However, while we know cycling in the Yorkshire Dales is exhilarating and challenging, we would urge everyone planning a cycle trip to make sure they and their bicycle are fully prepared, to make sure they have studied the route and to treat these challenging roads with respect and caution, especially on long descents that can be more demanding than people may expect.
We appreciate the road closures involved in this work will cause inconvenience, but we will do all we can to keep this to a minimum.
