HIGHWAYS chiefs have ruled out any extra lanes on the A64 during phase two of the roadworks at Copmanthorpe.

But they are hoping the single-lane contraflow will be removed for good by the end of May, in time for the Spring Bank Holiday and Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations.

And a City of York Council officer said today he hoped the roadworks' second phase would generally cause less disruption than phase one - when there were massive jams on the dual carriageway and knock-on congestion in the city centre.

Statistics show there will be almost 25 per cent less traffic on the A64 during the next three months than in September and October, said Bill Woolley, the council's assistant director of development and transport.

Meanwhile, the agency has revealed that it intends taking action to stop queue-jumpers disrupting the flow of A64 traffic.

It may use traffic lights to deter motorists from pulling off the A64 and going over the York Outer Ring Road flyover before coming back onto the dual carriageway, slowing down traffic on the A64.

The decisions were taken at a meeting yesterday between Mr Woolley and agency officials.

The council, supported by the Evening Press's campaign to Get York Moving, had been pressing for an additional lane to be provided in at least one direction.

Mr Woolley said afterwards that he now accepted agency arguments that it was practically impossible at this stage to do this, because of physical and safety constraints.

But he still felt it would have been possible if sufficient preparations had been made at an earlier stage.

Updated: 10:48 Friday, December 21, 2001