THE cost of the troubled scheme to build a new cycle route along York’s Water End has soared by almost 70 per cent to more than £500,000.

The project hit problems last week when a contractor’s excavator burst a water main, shutting the road for three days while the pipe was repaired and causing long delays for motorists.

Now councillors have been told that the cost of the scheme, part of City of York Council’s flagship strategy to promote and enhance cycling across the city, has leapt from £300,000 to £520,000.

A report to a City Strategy meeting earlier this week said the increased costs were due to a “higher than estimated cost for the construction work and the new traffic signals.

It said other factors were an increase in costs for ducting required to link the Clifton Green traffic signals with new pedestrian crossing signals, and also increased costs for night working, which was required to minimise traffic disruption.

The report said that the increased budget to meet the additional costs would include £100,000 of Cycling City funding, as the scheme provided part of the orbital cycle route included in the Cycling City programme.

The soaring costs have been criticised by Labour group leader David Scott, who said this was yet another example of a council capital project going over budget.

“Questions should be asked about this and answers given,” he said.

“This is a significant increase, which means that £220,000 less is available to spend on other cycling or highways projects.”

Coun Scott also revealed that lampposts put up on Clifton Bridge as part of the project had had to be altered after motorists complained they had been blinded by the light. He said he would be checking if this change had led to any extra costs.

Coun Steve Galloway, the Liberal Democrat executive member for city strategy, said that all work of the sort being carried out on Water Lane was a subject to a competitive tender.

“Sometimes tenders are received that are above the expectations of our professional officers. Others come in below budget,” he said.

He said that overall, the council would invest £8.4 million in planning and transport during the present financial year against an approved budget of £8.6 million.

He said: “When the Water Lane scheme was approved in October it gained widespread support from councillors of all parties.”

Coun Galloway asked officers at the meeting for a detailed breakdown of the extra costs.

The new cycle route, which runs from the junction of Salisbury Road to Clifton Green, includes the construction of on-carriageway cycle lanes, off-highway cycle paths, the installation of toucan crossings and upgrading of the existing pelican crossing in Water End. The work is being carried out by P&T Contracts.