MOTORISTS are facing jams and congestion on a key York route for the rest of this week following the start of major roadworks today.

A contra-flow controlled by temporary traffic lights will operate for 24 hours a day on the A19 at Fulford until the end of Saturday.

Traffic was already backing up in both directions by mid-afternoon today, even before the evening rush hour had started.

Neil Bailey, operations manager at York's biggest bus operator, First York, said its vehicles had experienced delays due to the roadworks in Fulford, adding:"We apologise to our customers who have been affected.”

Howard Civil Engineering, which is doing the work, warned earlier this month that it would ‘inevitably lead to major disruption of the traffic using this route.’

It said peak hour traffic was expected to be considerably worse than usual, impacting not only the A19 but the surrounding road network,and it advised drivers to seek alternative routes.

The work is part of the project to build an access road into the 640-home Germany Beck housing development from the A19.

It involves the diversion of services including water mains, gas mains, electric cables and BT and other communication cables and fibres.

Howard has said these need to be diverted because some lie too close to a proposed sheet piled wall to the west of the A19, and because some needed to be lifted to suit the new level of the junction.

It said water main diversion work would be carried out by contractors on behalf of Yorkshire Water.

“We will be receiving deliveries to site this week," it said. "Each delivery will be guided into site by one of our employees once traffic and pedestrians are clear from the site entrance. Please be patient if you are held up for a short time whilst these manoeuvres take place.”

The company apologised for any inconvenience caused for those delayed by the traffic lights but said provision for pedestrians and others using footpaths would be maintained during the operations.

Persimmon Homes Yorkshire said earlier this year that it finally hopes to start its £120 million scheme at Germany Beck in Fulford - one of York’s biggest housing schemes - this summer.