Landslip-hit A59 at Kex Gill closed after new crack found

A crack was found in the A59 at Kex Gill last week, North Yorkshire Council says

A landslip-hit road in North Yorkshire is to be closed for repairs and a diversion put in place after a crack appeared in its verge.

The A59 at Kex Gill would be closed at 18:30 GMT on Friday, North Yorkshire Council said.

The authority said traffic lights had already been installed after the crack first became apparent last week.

Engineers had since investigated the section between Blubberhouses and Skipton and had found further movement.

A decision was made to fully close the road "for the safety of the travelling public", a council spokesperson said.

The further movement was thought to have been caused by poor weather and recent heavy rain, they added.

A signed diversion would be in place during the closure and the highways teams would carry out a repair "as soon as possible".

North Yorkshire Council said it planned to release more details about the length of the closure next week.

In February last year, plans for a new route to replace the current road were approved and £56m of funding from The Department of Transport was given the go-ahead.

The scheme for the new route has since been delayed and is now expected to open to road users by November 2025.

The then Roads Minister Richard Holden said the scheme would benefit businesses and towns across the north of England and put an end to disruptive road closures.