A MAJOR junction in the city centre will be closed every night this week between 7pm and 5am as work continues on the new bus interchange centred on Exhibition Square.

Traffic will be diverted away from the junction of Gillygate, Bootham and St Leonard’s Place and pedestrians will only be allowed round the work under escort by traffic management officers as the road is resurfaced.

The roads will be open as normal during the daytime, but drivers are warned to look out for ramps and raised ironwork. Bus services that use the area will be diverted to temporary bus stops.

On December 1, work will begin for two weeks outside the York Theatre Royal, including a new kerb, relocating bus stop flags and widening the pavement. The work has been timed to coincide with the theatre closing for two weeks for pantomime rehearsals.

The work to cover Exhibition Square began in September and is expected to be finished by mid-December. A council spokesman said the work was on schedule.

The stops in the area currently handle bus passengers making 750,000 journeys a year, mainly to rural areas north of York.