Kex Gill A59 closure causing road chaos in Askwith - villagers

Emily Johnson & Olivia Richwald - BBC News
Askwith residents
Askwith residents say traffic diverting through their village is causing damage and is dangerous for pedestrians [BBC]

Villagers in North Yorkshire have called for action after the closure of a major route caused travel chaos.

The A59 at Kex Gill has been shut since February due to a landslip, which has diverted traffic onto smaller roads.

Despite not being on the official diversion, Askwith has seen a surge in traffic coming through the village.

Residents said the extra vehicles had caused gridlock, eroded roads and put schoolchildren in danger due to the lack of pavements on local roads.

North Yorkshire Council said signage was in place warning drivers the routes near the village were for local access only.

The authority said it would see what more it could do to reduce traffic using the route.

Jessica and Christian Dale
Jessica and Christian Dale likened rush hour in Askwith to the M25 motorway [BBC]

The route on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park was closed after a crack appeared in its verge, with a £750,000 repair scheme in progress.

Jessica and Christian Dale, who live in Askwith, said the situation had become "increasingly dangerous" for those in the village.

"At rush hour, during school drop-off and pick-up it's like the M25," Mr Dale said.

"It's people from out of town, who don't know the road, and there's no street lights."

He added: "We're a small village but we've just been overrun by people being diverted from Kex Gill."

Mrs Dale said the village layout could not cope with the number of HGVs passing through.

"We don't have pavements so all of these massive vehicles are pushing us to the side," she told BBC Look North.

Traffic passing a family
Without pavements, families were being "pushed to the side" by traffic, Mrs Dale says [BBC]

In late March, North Yorkshire Council said the route, between Skipton and Blubberhouses, would not reopen before the end of June.

Residents said the increase in traffic had been detrimental to Askwith's narrow highways, causing erosion and potholes.

Claire Shepherd, vice chair of Mid Wharfedale Parish Council, said: "This has got worse and worse through neglect and the amount of traffic coming through."

Headteacher of Askwith Primary School, Elaine Nayler, appealed for motorists to be considerate to villagers.

"Just be mindful of the fact you're coming down a hill, think about your speed," she said.

"Certainly be mindful first thing in the morning and around school pick-up time."

Damage to road
A parish councillor says routes in the area have been damaged by the increase in traffic since the road closure [BBC]

Barrie Mason, North Yorkshire Council's assistant director for highways and transport, said: "We fully appreciate the impact the closure of Kex Gill is having on local communities and the condition of nearby roads.

"Although we have installed a signed diversion, we acknowledge that several drivers look for alternative routes during busy periods."

Additional signs have been installed to discourage drivers using routes near Askwith, the authority said.

"We continue to monitor and repair where required in advance of a planned resurfacing scheme when the A59 reopens," he added.

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