Road opens but not at full speed

The new road will speed journeys through Yorkshire

A new stretch of motorway through West and North Yorkshire is being opened to drivers on Saturday.

The 4.5-miles of the A1 replaces the existing dual-carriageway between Wetherby and Walshford.

Traffic queues had often built up when three lanes of traffic had to filter down to two lanes near Wetherby.

Some lane restrictions will be in place until the new motorway is fully completed in the spring. Until then a 50mph speed limit will be in force.

The old A1 route between Wetherby and Walshford will become a local road, reduced to one lane in each direction.

And the present junction with the A1 at York Road in Wetherby will be closed with traffic having to use a new junction at Kirk Deighton.

The Highways Agency says the new road is part of a £245m scheme to upgrade the A1 between Darrington and Dishforth which should be completed in 2006.