Revised plans have been submitted for the dualling of York’s outer ring road.

It follows months of work tweaking an earlier application submitted in Autumn 2022, which attracted hundreds of objections, as well as concerns from Active Travel England amongst others.

The revised application for the £65 million scheme will go before city planners next Tuesday (March 19), and is recommended for approval.

It details plans for -

  • dualling of the A1237 between the junction with the A19 and the Hopgrove roundabout
  • improvements to roundabouts
  • 5.1km of ‘shared use’ cycle and pedestrian routes
  • two new overbridges
  • six underpasses for cyclists and pedestrians
  • drainage, flood-compensation areas, noise barriers and woodland planting/ landscaping

The plans, as submitted, have won the provisional backing of several key agencies, including the Environment Agency, Historic England, Natural England and the Foss Internal Drainage Board.

Active Travel England have also recommended ‘conditional approval’, subject to being satisfied about road lighting and lighting along cycle and pedestrian routes.

York Press: A computer-generated image showing how an upgraded roundabout might lookA computer-generated image showing how an upgraded roundabout might look (Image: Council/ planning)

But the revised application has also generated a total of 137 objections, including from York Green Party, York Environment Forum, York Cycle Campaign and Get Cycling.

The Green Party says dualling the road would lead to more traffic – and would fly in the teeth of the council’s own climate emergency action plan, which calls for a 25 per cent reduction in cars.

York Cycle Campaign, meanwhile, says the plan ‘fails to provide infrastructure for cyclists that is safe and in line with Department for Transport design guidance’.

READ MORE: Dualling of York's outer ring road: what people say

The revised plans have been submitted by City of York Council itself.

As well as dualling of the A1237 between the A19 and the Hopgrove Roundabout, they detail a raft of upgrades.

These include:

  • A19 Shipton Road Roundabout to Clifton Moor Roundabout: a new carriageway along this stretch of road, to the north of the existing carriageway. The existing underpass at the A19 roundabout to be retained and connected to a proposed ‘radial cycle/footway’
  • Clifton Moor roundabout: Roundabout to be repositioned to the north of where it is now, and to include a new ‘fourth arm’ on its northern side. A new pedestrian/cycle underpass east of the roundabout to connect to the ‘radial cycle/footway’
  • Wigginton Roundabout: Roundabout to be widened with extra lanes. Bus stops on Wigginton Road to the north to be relocated, with two crossing points on Wigginton Road, one signalled.
  • Haxby Road/A1237 Junction – New Earswick/Haxby: Roundabout at Haxby Road/ 1237 junction to be enlarged and realigned. New cycle/ footway underpasses to connect to the radial route. A new road bridge to the west of the roundabout to accommodate the new carriageway and the York-Scarborough railway line
  • A1237/Strensall Road Junction – Huntington/Earswick: Roundabout and approach roads to be enlarged, with a new cycle and pedestrian underpass west of the roundabout A new road bridge west of the roundabout, to accommodate the additional carriageway and to span the River Foss. A parallel pedestrian and cycle zebra crossing on Strensall Road about 150m north of the roundabout.
  • A1237/Monks Cross/North Lane Junction: Widening of existing approach and exit roads, and a signalised equestrian crossing east of the roundabout. Non-signalised crossings on the other four arms of the roundabout.