THE soaring bill for taming North Yorkshire's worst accident blackspot means the Government must consider it all over again, it was revealed today.

Roads Minister David Jamieson is set to decide on the project for a flyover at Bilbrough Top, on the A64 between York and Tadcaster, this autumn.

The scheme was first approved in June last year by the Secretary of State, who said he was satisfied the road required urgent action to improve safety.

The Highways Agency had been planning to start construction work this June - finally allowing a gap in the central reservation to be shut - until it discovered at the last minute that tenders received were massively higher than anticipated.

Now Selby MP John Grogan has discovered that because the costs have gone above £5 million, an application has to go to the Minister for extra funding under the Targeted Programme for Improvements (TPI) initiative.

He has requested a personal meeting with the Minister to stress the urgency of the problem, telling Mr Jamieson: "This is an extremely sensitive issue in my constituency, not least because of the recent deaths at this junction."

Two people have died in the past year after accidents in which their cars passed through the gap and were struck by vehicles travelling along the dual carriageway. Mr Grogan, who understands the costs are about £2 million higher than had been budgeted for by the agency, is also planning to seek an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on the issue.

The Evening Press, which has been campaigning for several years for the gap to be closed on safety grounds, today urged readers to back the MP's case.

We want you to write to the paper, giving your views on the need for work to start on construction of a flyover and for the gap to be shut.

Motorists may like to recount their own experiences at this location.

The paper will also be seeking the views of emergency services and other organisations.

Copies of letters will be passed to the Minister before the decision is made.

Mr Jamieson has told the MP that the agency appreciated constituents were anxious for improvement works to start as soon as possible.

It had therefore, "as a matter of urgency," been investigating the reasons for the cost increase and reviewing the scheme to ensure value for money was being secured before putting it forward for the TPI.

The agency recently told Mr Grogan that the review had demonstrated the scheme still represented good value for money, and approval was now being sought.

The MP said that the project could not now start in 2003, but if the Minister gave his approval, it might begin early in the New Year.

Updated: 11:08 Thursday, August 21, 2003