Completion of the A1 Leeming to Barton improvement may be six months away but a smaller highway construction scheme on its doorstep began welcoming traffic on Thursday.

 

The 5km Bedale bypass was opened by Roads Minister Andrew Jones in an effort to ease local congestion by reducing traffic through Bedale, Leeming Bar and Aiskew by half from approximately 14,000 vehicles a day.

 

Improved road safety and better access to the A1(M) for local communities are also promised by the scheme.

 

“The much needed bypass will improve the community’s lives by cutting traffic, improving air quality and road safety,” Andrew Jones said. “The tourist industry will also benefit as journey times to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales will be reduced.”

 

The new bypass runs from Northallerton Road on the eastern outskirts of Leeming Bar to a new junction on the A684 near Bedale Golf Club. It crosses the A1(M) at approximately its midpoint, where it connects with a newly created junction.

 

Work began in February 2015 on the £34.5M scheme, which is funded to the tune of £29M from the Department for Transport, with North Yorkshire County Council funding the rest. The main contractor was Wills Bros and the designer Jacobs.

 

“The bypass has been long awaited and will greatly reduce congestion in Bedale, Leeming Bar and Aiskew,” said the Council's executive member for highways Don Mackenzie. “It will make a huge difference to residents, businesses and tourists.”