FINAL go-ahead has been given for the major upgrading of a key motorway junction in North Yorkshire.

Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry MP was in the county earlier this week, and announced the final approval for work at junction 47 of the A1(M) - where the motorway meets the A59.

The funding was initially announced as part of the Local Growth Deal funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in January 2015, following a successful national bid by the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Since then, the LEP has worked with local and central government, North Yorkshire County Council and Highways England, to get extra funding.

The LEP’s chairman Barry Dodd said: “We are keen to play our part in the development of the Northern Powerhouse by reflecting the enormous opportunities our rural area plays in its economic growth. Not only does it provide a fantastic leisure destination for our own residents, it also has an enormous visitor economy, alongside growing industries such as agritech, food manufacturing and energy.

“All of our key partners recognise that improvements need to be made to this junction, to deal with both existing capacity issues, and to accommodate growth in the LEP area.

“The junction provides access from our key east west corridor to the A1 (M) the major north south national arterial route, and provides access from our area to the rest of the UK and beyond.”

The upgrade will see the roads widened to create extra lanes, and traffic lights installed at the A1(M) and A168 junctions with the A59. It will help unlock access to the Flaxby Business Park which could in turn create 3,000 new jobs, LEP leaders said.

During the Minister’s visit, he was also updated on plans for Harrogate’s Station Gateway Project was been indicatively allocated £1million in growth deal funding.