A PUBLIC meeting to reveal plans for the next temporary closure of the A59 at Kex Gill - likely to take place in October - has been put off for a week to allow engineers to finalise the proposals.

The meeting by North Yorkshire County Council for businesses and residents affected by the closure had been due to be held tomorrow, but will now be held on Tuesday, September 25.

Due to take place at The Millstones, Skipton Road, near Harrogate, engineers and councillors will discuss at the meeting what is needed to make permanent repairs to the section of road to avoid future slippages.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Highways, said: “We are very anxious to minimise any closure of the road while the permanent repairs are carried out, because we understand the impact that has on local people, particularly businesses. Therefore, we are taking a little extra time to finalise the proposed option, which will require further investigation and discussion.”

The road closed at Kex Gill in late spring after a large crack appeared in the road surface. There was also movement in the side of the road. Following a first phase of repairs, it reopened to single-file traffic under traffic light control in early July. The review may delay the start of permanent repairs, but this is still expected to be in early October.

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 says next week’s meeting will be an opportunity for people to find out what work will be needed to complete a permanent repair at the site and for it to be fully reopened. People will also be able to comment on how best to make the closures as painless as possible.

Cllr Mackenzie added: “We want to complete permanent repairs as soon as possible, but we also want to be certain that we have the most effective repair with the minimum disruption to traffic.”

County Councillor Stanley Lumley, a member of the Kex Gill steering group, added: “The A59 at Kex Gill presents a complex problem. We must be certain that the permanent repair programme is the best possible, while minimising closures, because I know how difficult these are for the local community.”

The county council hopes to bypass the problematic section of road by bypassing it to the other side of the valley and has agreed a preferred route. A full business case for funding is now being produced for submission to the Department for Transport.

Next Tuesday’s meeting at The Millstones is due to start at 7pm.