Government minister reaffirms £56m upgrade for landslip hit A59 between Harrogate and Skipton at Kex Gill

During a meeting with representatives from highways authority North Yorkshire County Council, Roads Minister Richard Holden reaffirmed that £56 million of Government funding will be utilised to develop a new route to replace the notorious Kex Gill section of the A59.

The road has been plagued by problems for decades with five major landslips at Kex Gill since 2001.

One incident saw this vital east-to-west link closed for eight weeks causing real hardship for businesses in the Pateley Bridge area, in particular.

Talk of diverting this steep and winding part of the A59 away from Kex Gill and creating an entirely new carriageway have been common for years but progress now appears to be in reach.

After the meeting, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: "The re-alignment of Kex Gill will be one of the council’s most ambitious ever highways projects.

“The A59 provides a very important east-west connection in North Yorkshire and is of national significance.

"We remain committed to completing the scheme as quickly as possible and in the most cost-effective way.”

To address this long-standing transport problem, £56 million of government funding will be utilised to develop a new 2.5 mile long route that will replace this troubled section of the A59.

The upgrade is designed to minimise the impact on the environment and reduce road closures, benefiting surrounding communities.

The predicted benefits of this substantial road investment are expected to include the following:

Motorists travelling on the A59 at Kex Gill will benefit from improved safety, faster commutes and less congestion.

Improvements to this key route between Harrogate and Skipton in North Yorkshire will boost the local economy and enhance connectivity.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: "Investing in projects like this to provide long-term improvements shows how the government is committed to levelling up transport links with long-term sustainable solutions.

"The new route at Kex Gill will benefit businesses across the North of England and local towns and villages nearby by boosting economic growth, enhancing connectivity and putting an end to disruptive road closures.

The long-awaited project is part of the Government’s commitment to enhance connectivity on the road network, with more than £59.9 million funding allocated to local authorities across the region to support highways maintenance, pothole repairs and local transport measures.

In the past, national conservation bodies RSPB and Natural England raised concerns over the carriageway project, as well as minerals company Sibelco.

Natural England said construction of the road could cause significant damage to endangered wildlife and conservation areas, while Sibelco argued it would threaten the future viability of valuable minerals.

Planning officials at North Yorkshire County Council acknowledged the possible impact on the landscape and wildlife but replied that extensive planning had not found a better way to re-route the road.

Construction work on the new stretch of road in the A59 is set to commence later this year.

The new route is expected to open in 2025.

Motorists, businesses, commuters, visitors and local communities will now be looking forward to a future where travelling is no longer vulnerable to the twin threats of geology and weather.