A MOTORWAY junction improvement scheme on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire is now due for completion in the spring after unexpected delays.

The scheme involves widening three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity and installing traffic lights on the roundabout to improve traffic flow.

Furthermore, test of Junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane will be added for traffic travelling east, so there will be two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said: “We are looking forward to the completion of this important scheme, which anticipates significant residential and commercial development along the A59 corridor. The prolongation of the schedule is not expected to cause disruption to traffic flows at the junction and will be accompanied by additional safety work on the vehicle restraint systems on the A1M slip roads.”

Work was originally due for completion in autumn 2021, which has seen the project cost rise from £7.7m to £10m. Delays have been blamed on the pandemic, a discovery of great crested newts which had to be moved, and unexpected poor ground conditions.