Bypass project to receive extra £11.7m after delay

The project includes building a bypass near Blubberhouses

A further £11.7m will be spent on one of the biggest road-building schemes in the north of England after delays increased costs.

On Tuesday, North Yorkshire Council's executive committee approved the cost of the A59 Kex Gill realignment project to go up to £82.5m.

The scheme includes building a bypass, near Blubberhouses, which will replace a section of the A59 which has suffered 15 closures since 2000 due to landslips.

It was originally budgeted to cost £68.8m, with an extra £2m previously approved by councillors.

Addressing the meeting, councillor Keane Duncan described the use of extra finances as "extremely frustrating".

"The costs primarily relate to the delayed commencement of works, as well as essential design changes and poor ground conditions that we encountered on site," he said.

"These costs could not have been foreseen, they are not the council's fault, but it is the unfortunate reality that it is us, the council and the taxpayers, that are obliged to pick up the bill."

The existing route of the A59 at Kex Gill is prone to landslides resulting in closures

The work will create a three-mile (4.8km) bypass around a section of the east-west route, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The road is a key link between Harrogate and Skipton and provides a route across the North of England between junction 31 of the M6 and junction 47 of the A1(M).

Councillors were told the scheme was the most ambitious highways project ever undertaken by the authority due to the terrain, the height of the route and because it was a sensitive area for wildlife.

The Department for Transport has provided £56m for the scheme, with North Yorkshire Council funding the rest.

The authority said the work was on track to be completed in spring 2026.

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