Road closure results in gridlock

The closure of a busy route in a North Yorkshire city has led to traffic gridlock in the area.

Coltsgate Hill in Ripon was closed off on Monday to allow building work to start on a new major link road.

Anthony Blackburn, from the Ripon Business Association, said the closure led to morning gridlock because diversion signs were not put in place.

Colin Jackson, from North Yorkshire County Council, accepted the council did not get the signage up in time.

He said this was because they had been some land issues which resulted in the delay.

Mr Blackburn said a meeting had been held with councillors to ensure the agreed measures were enforced.

'Driver feedback'

He added: "We have made it clear in the strongest terms possible that by Wednesday morning all the measures and diversionary signs must be in place."

The road will be closed off for up to nine months to allow the new link road from Coltsgate Hill to Blossomgate to be built.

Mr Blackburn added that the business association and council would be taking feedback from drivers on the diversions and it would be regularly reviewed.

He said: "This is a nine month programme and we have got to make sure we keep the traffic moving as much as we can.

"The first set of proposals are good but by no means are they the final set - they will need to be tweaked as and when is necessary based on the feedback we get and the way the traffic flows around the city."