Two road schemes are planned early in the New Year for Burn Bridge Lane, Pannal, near Harrogate. They are designed to improve drainage and road safety at and near the junction with the A61 Harrogate Road. The work will start on Monday, 8 January and last for eight weeks.
The safety work will see a left-turn lane provided for traffic travelling north-east from the A61 on to Burn Bridge Lane. This will address safety concerns at this junction after several collisions in the past few years. At the same time drainage improvements will be made, with new pipework and gullies installed, and the road surface will be reconstructed and remarked.
During the work, Burn Bridge Lane will be closed in both directions between the junctions with the A61 Harrogate Road and Brackenthwaite Lane, with a signed diversion route in place. The A61 will remain open, but will be subject to a temporary 40mph speed limit for the safety of workers.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Highways, said: “I welcome this forthcoming work at a difficult junction. There have been a few collisions as a result of the unintended use of the indicator by vehicles leaving the Buttersyke Bar Roundabout.
“The creation of a turning lane will remove this risk in the immediate future. In the longer term, the council does now have funding for building a roundabout at this location using funds from our successful bid for highways improvements in the west of Harrogate under the National Productivity Investment Fund Scheme.”
County Councillor Cliff Trotter, who represents Pannal and Lower Wharfedale, said: “ I welcome the work at this junction which I hope will make it safer and improve traffic flow.’’
