The battle to close a lethal gap on the A64 near York was finally won today.

Hats off to victory: Traffic Constable Dave Brown, the traffic management officer for the Selby and Tadcaster Division,celebrates the news today that the Colton Lane End junction is to close. Picture: Frank Dwyer

The Highways Agency today announced that the gap in the central reservation at Colton Lane End - scene of two fatal accidents last year - is to be shut as a safety measure.

The closure will be for an experimental period of up to 12 months, during which the impact will be fully assessed.

The decision is a major victory for the Evening Press Close the Gaps campaign, launched last year after two motorists died in separate accidents at Colton Lane End.

In both cases, cars travelling along the A64 between York and Tadcaster collided with vehicles which were passing through the gap while crossing the dual carriageway.

Hundreds of readers signed coupons and wrote letters in support of the campaign, many telling how they had nearly been involved in accidents there themselves.

David Impey, then headteacher of Tadcaster Grammar School, spoke of his fears that children coming to school on buses from Copmanthorpe or Bishopthorpe might be involved in an horrific accident at the gap.

Traffic policeman Dave Brown and Selby MP John Grogan also backed the campaign, while agreeing that a flyover should be built in the longer term so that local motorists could cross the A64 safely.

But there was opposition from some residents of nearby villages such as Bolton Percy and Colton, who until the flyover is built will face a detour via flyovers at Tadcaster and Copmanthorpe to cross the dual carriageway.

Villagers raised concerns about extra traffic using a back road through Colton to get to the A64 at Copmanthorpe and said some motorists might simply use another gap further along the A64, near McDonald's restaurant, which remains open.

However, when the Evening Press surveyed 50 local residents at random, a majority favoured closure, many saying safety should come before their personal convenience.

PC Dave Brown said of today's announcement: "I think it's a brilliant idea. It seems a commonsense thing to give it a try."

The impact both on local back roads and also at other gaps along the A64 would be examined.

Highways Agency Area Manager Peter Moffatt said there were long-term plans for a flyover at Colton, and gap closure now was seen as an interim safety measure. A number of objections to closure had been considered, along with the potential safety benefits.

"We have decided that the best way forward is to close the gaps on an experimental basis for up to a year. We would then review the implications of closure and a decision then taken on whether it should be made permanent."

He said local people would have another chance to comment on the closure over the next six months.

The gap is expected to be shut in about a month's time.

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