AN important road junction in the centre of York is to be closed during this weekend for essential resurfacing work, leading to major diversions.

City of York Council is to shut the junction of Bootham and Gillygate, and is urging motorists to avoid the area.

The road has become badly rutted and worn out and will be resurfaced using a harder-wearing material designed to take heavy traffic volumes.

The closure, which is necessary to complete the work, will be in place from 7pm on Saturday (Feb 3) until 6pm on Sunday.

During the closure diversion routes via either Museum Street, Queen Street, Blossom Street, A59 Holgate Road and Water End, or Clarence Street, Wigginton Road, A1237 Outer Ring Road and A19 Shipton Road will be clearly signed.

Ray Chaplin, head of the council's engineering consultancy, said: "We appreciate that this work will cause some disruption to traffic in the city during this short period but we are doing everything possible to minimise the impact.

"We have fully consulted with environmental health and emergency services as well as public transport companies and all agreed that this was the best time of year to carry out this work."

On Monday, between 7pm and 11pm, work on resurfacing the section of carriageway on Bootham between Marygate and Bootham Row will also begin. Depending on weather conditions this is expected to take three to four evenings to complete.

Work on this section will be carried out using temporary traffic signals restricting traffic flows to a single lane.

Updated: 09:19 Thursday, February 01, 2001