Drivers braced for start of four weeks of roadworks disruption on A59 at Kex Gill

Today marks the start of four weeks of disruption for commuters as the county council begins investigatory work on the A59.
Work at Kex GillWork at Kex Gill
Work at Kex Gill

Almost a dozen boreholes will be drilled as part of planned investigatory work to enhance the measuring and monitoring capability in the slope above the A59.

The work was announced by North Yorkshire County Council earlier this month in a bid to help them anticipate any further movement in the hillside.

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Temporary traffic lights will now operate on the road for 24 hours to allow contracts to carry out their work in a bid to prevent further problems.

County councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for Highways said the work will help to prevent further road closures in the future.

He said: “Ultimately, we want to realign the A59 away from its current route at Kex Gill to avoid the risks of landslips, but this is a long-term project. In the meantime, we must do all we can to mitigate the problems that have closed the road in the past.

“We apologise for any inconvenience the work causes, but drivers will benefit as this investigatory work will help us to understand the landscape better, anticipate potential problems and minimise disruption to traffic.”

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Coun Mackenzie explained that the work will help determine the geological nature of the ground and position of the water table.

Material collected from the boreholes will give a picture of the ground that will help determine what further work can be undertaken to stabilise the slope.

The county council said work on enhancing the monitoring facility for the slope could help identify further work needed to reduce the risk of the road being closed by further movement.

However, it also warned that any further works would represent only a medium-term solution to hold the slope in place while efforts continue to divert the route.

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This stretch of road had also been affected by landslips in bad weather on previous occasions. Commuters, as well as local residents and businesses, were blighted by an almost two-month closure of the road in January last year after substantial cracks were detected.