A milestone has been reached on the most ambitious highways project ever undertaken by North Yorkshire Council, ensuring the opening date remains on track.
The base layers of asphalt for the A59 Kex Gill realignment scheme have started to be laid, marking a major step towards the completion of the scheme in spring next year.
Essential work is currently under way to bypass a section of the key east-west route near Blubberhouses, which has closed repeatedly over the years due to a series of landslips.
The road, which runs across a rural stretch of the county on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is deemed to be one of the most important strategic routes nationally as it provides a key link running across the country.
Tarmac, the subcontractor to John Sisk & Son, have started to lay asphalt for the new four-kilometre section of road.
The first phase involves about 4,000 tonnes of material, with the second phase scheduled to begin next month. In total, about 40,000 tonnes is needed.
Currently, the base and structural support layers are being installed, ahead of the upper layer in spring, to pave the way of its planned reopening.
The recent dry weather has allowed construction to progress at pace, including building culverts under the new road, constructing a retaining wall, installing drainage and creating a new bridleway.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Malcolm Taylor, said: “This is a milestone moment in the Kex Gill realignment project which is key to safeguarding the future of the A59.
“The realignment of this east-west route will provide much better connectivity for all road users and will provide a major boost to the county’s economy.
“Work continues on the new structures, drainage and surfacing to ensure that the opening remains on track for next spring.”
There have been 15 landslips on the stretch of road since 2000 which have caused significant disruption for the public and cost the council more than £6 million to repair.
In May, the council’s executive approved an extra £11.7m of investment to cover the costs of design changes and additional work, with the budget now standing at £82.5m.
As well as the construction of the new carriageway, the project encompasses new bridleways and footpaths, four kilometres of natural stone walls, two balancing ponds, and an extensive environmental scheme to enrich local habitats in this national landscape, including planting 12,000 trees and installing several bird and barn owl boxes.
A total of eight new culverts are also being installed to ensure water flows under the new road safely. Some of these include mammal shelves and ledges to allow animals such as badgers, otters and other wildlife to pass through or nest.
