DETAILS of the planned further temporary closure of the A59 at Kex Gill are set to be revealed at a public meeting next week.

North Yorkshire highways officers and councillors will be at Tuesday's (September 18) meeting at the Millstones restaurant, Skipton Road, to announce plans for permanent repairs.

The repairs, which will mean at times the full closure of the road and are expected to start in October, will aim to minimise the risk of further slippage until a planned diversion is built.

The meeting will also be a chance for those affected by the closure to discuss how best it can take place with minimal impact on businesses.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire's Executive member for highways, said: “Since July, the single-file traffic system has worked well, but we want to complete permanent repairs as soon as possible.

"We have been working with our contractors to finalise the most effective repair while minimising disruption to traffic and are now in a position to share details with businesses and residents, the people most affected by this situation." Cllr Mackenzie said it was expected that work would start at the beginning of October.

"The scale of the work means it will, at times, require a full road closure, but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.”

County Councillor Stanley Lumley, a member of the Kex Gill steering group, added: “The A59 at Kex Gill presents a complex problem and a great deal of hard work has gone into devising a permanent repair.

"We know how difficult closure periods are for the local community, so minimising these is a priority. Equally, I know how important it is that the road be open for the benefit of all users, so I’m glad that these permanent repairs are now in sight.”

The road closed at Kex Gill in late spring after movement in the carriageway. Following a first phase of repairs, it reopened to single-file traffic under traffic light control in early July.

The A59 is an important trans-Pennine route between Skipton and Harrogate, but there is a history of instability in land around the road west of Blubberhouses at Kex Gill. Since the road’s reopening in July, the slope has been monitored and has remained stable.

The council’s ultimate solution is to realign the section of the A59 to the other side of the valley, and a preferred route was agreed by the council in July. A full business case for funding is now being produced for submission to the Department for Transport.

The council anticipates construction could start in 2019- 2020 and the road could take 14 months to complete.

Tuesday's meeting at Millstones, near Harrogate, will start at 7pm.