MOTORISTS are facing several years of severe disruption on York's roads as a series of massive projects gets underway. 

Key routes will be hit by closures, contraflows and temporary traffic lights to allow for the York Central and railway station entrance redevelopments, dualling of the outer ring road, repairs to key bridges, installation of new water mains and construction of new security bollards. 

Highways bosses have pledged to do all they can to programme and coordinate the works to mitigate the impact on the public, but warned that some disruption was inevitable during a period of unprecedented investment in the city. 

Details of the schemes include: 

  • The complete closure of Queen Street on the inner ring road for two weekends - probably towards the end of this year or early next year- to allow for the construction of a temporary diversion route through an adjacent station car park, prior to the demolition of the bridge as part of the Station Gateway improvements.
  • Temporary traffic signals for the next 12-18 months in Leeman Road during construction of new junctions as part of the York Central scheme, plus overnight closures for plant deliveries, and then a full 24/7 closure of the Leeman Road tunnel for an unspecified period in 2025.
  • Four weeks of overnight closures on Water End in March and April, and an extended period of 24/7 westbound lane closure - affecting traffic heading to Acomb from Clifton - to undertake works on Severus Bridge, the bridge over the railway line.
  • Overnight traffic signals on the A1237 York outer ring road this summer between Poppleton and Rawcliffe to allow for repairs and replacement of joints on bridges over the River Ouse and the East Coast Mainline.
  • Maintenance work on Lendal Bridge which may necessitate contraflows or closures.
  • Dualling of the A1237 outer ring road from the A19 to Hopgrove, with utility diversions at roundabouts this year and main works, subject to planning consent and confirmation, in 2024/25.

There will also be road closures at entrances to the city centre over coming months until the autumn to allow for improved security measures, with fixed and moveable bollards installed at entrance points to footstreets.

Works have already started in Tadcaster Road to ensure it can cope with future travel demands and encourages more people to walk, cycle and use the bus.

But the council warned there are also a large number of other schemes being progressed by developers and utility companies, including emergency repairs which will need to be accommodated at the same time as the major projects.

These include water main renewal by Yorkshire Water in the Heworth to Malton Road area, and Northern Power Grid works at the junction of St Leonards Place and Bootham, Tower Street and James Street.