The final junction upgrade at Whiteshops – the junction of Catterick Road, Byng Road and Horne Road – will begin with preparatory work from next Monday (Sep 5) as part of a £1.6m scheme.
The joint scheme by North Yorkshire County Council and Richmondshire District Council is improving junctions along the A6136 corridor to enable housing development and economic growth.
Motorists are urged to be patient while the work is completed. County Councillor Helen Grant, local member for Central Richmondshire, said: “We fully recognise the disruption this improvement work will cause for residents, but I would ask them to look towards the end result, which will be the eradication of traffic gridlock in this area.”
Councillor Yvonne Peacock, leader of Richmondshire District Council, said: “As joint promoter of this project, the council is pleased that the planned improvements to the Whiteshops junction are about to start.
“Growth in our district is a key ambition of the Council and our Local Development Plan recognises the significant contribution that the land along the A6136 can make in terms of new houses and jobs. This project will address a known barrier to that growth.
“I would ask residents and visitors to the Garrison to be patient during the disruption that will result during the work.”
Last year, the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership awarded £1.2m for the scheme to the District Council via the Local Growth Fund and the County Council provided the remaining £400,000 to make the project happen.
When complete, the improvements across three junctions will help to create 1,900 new homes and hundreds of jobs based on a modern Catterick Garrison town centre, as well as improving key transport links and fast access to the upgraded A1 motorway and the region’s major cities.
Improvements at Catterick Bridge and complementary measures at Scorton crossroads were completed earlier this year. The junction resurfacing and lining will take place at Catterick Bridge next year to coincide with the re-opening of Fort Bridge, currently closed as part of Highway England’s A1 upgrade.
To keep disruption to a minimum, the A6136 Catterick Road will remain open. The work will require the closure of Byng Road and Horne Road at the A6136 junction from Monday, 12 September. Diversions will be signed. The work is expected to last 12 weeks. It will include the introduction of additional lanes, new signalling equipment and new pedestrian islands and crossing facilities.
A free shuttle bus service will be provided between Hipswell village and Tesco Catterick while the road closures are in place. Further details will be published online at www.northyorks.gov.uk/transportschemes.
“Our ambition is for North Yorkshire to be a thriving county that adapts to a changing world. Our priorities include working with our partners to deliver infrastructure investments vital to the growth of the county,” said County Councillor Carl Les, North Yorkshire County Council’s leader and one of the local members for the Catterick area.
“The completion of this major project will provide a package or necessary and welcome junction upgrades along the A6136 corridor that will improve traffic flow between the A1, Colburn and a modern Catterick Garrison town centre. Increasing the capacity of the A6136 will help to support Catterick’s potential for growth.”
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