A64 closures between York and Yorkshire coast total more than 5,200 hours since 2020

The data, covering the route between Hopgrove roundabout and Scarborough, records 671 closure shifts totalling 5,224 hours - the equivalent of almost 218 days of closure activity across the network.

The total reflects closures at different locations along the route since 2020.

The information was released by National Highways in response to a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The majority of disruption was linked to planned roadworks and maintenance rather than crashes or emergencies.

Major improvement schemes represented “the most significant source of roadspace occupation” on the route, while routine maintenance accounted for the largest volume of individual closures.

A National Highways spokesperson said: “The A64 is a key route linking Leeds, York and coastal communities, and it’s vital that maintenance work is carried out so that it continues to operate safely and effectively.

"This reduces the chance of unexpected closures in the future.

“Our work is carefully planned, and we’ll continue to review our activities to minimise disruption as much as possible, while maintaining safety.”

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, said the figures were “stark but sadly unsurprising” and demonstrated “why investment is so urgently needed”.

“National Highways’ own figures show the road carries on average twice the level of traffic appropriate for a single carriageway.

"It is simply not fit for purpose, and it is holding back businesses, tourism and economic growth across North Yorkshire and the coast,” he told the LDRS.

Among the largest programmes were carriageway improvement schemes between Seamer and Dunslow, Pickering and Staxton, Musley Bank and Malton, and Hopgrove and Claxton, many of which generated dozens of separate closure shifts over extended periods.

One scheme between Seamer and Dunslow generated 50 closure shifts and almost 368 hours of closures, while works between Pickering and Staxton accounted for more than 200 hours of closures.

However, the figures also show that some of the longest individual disruptions were caused by unexpected incidents rather than planned works.

The longest unplanned event on the route occurred in February 2021, when the westbound carriageway between the A1036 and A1237 was closed for more than 32 hours following a police-led incident.

National Highways classified the closure as a traffic incident and recorded more than 32 hours of lost road availability.

The second longest unplanned closure occurred at Seamer in August 2020, when both carriageways were shut for almost 10 hours due to another police-led incident.

Asked whether further major investment was being considered for the route, a Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said: “We recognise concerns about issues on the A64 between York and Scarborough, particularly during busy periods.

“National Highways continues to monitor the performance of the route and assess future investment needs as part of its wider management of the Strategic Road Network.”

Mr Hollinrake, who has campaigned for the full dualling of the A64 between York and Scarborough, said: “Safety improvements at Common Lane and Towthorpe Moor Lane are welcome, but feasibility work dragging on until 2027 is not good enough and is no substitute for dualling.

“I have campaigned for dualling for years, including challenging my own Government when we were in power.”

The chairman of the Conservative Party added: “We need the Mayor, all MPs and the Government fighting to get the A64 into the next Roads Investment Strategy, not lowering expectations.

"Local people have waited long enough.”

The DfT said there are currently no plans to dual sections of the A64 between York and Scarborough as part of the current Road Investment Strategy.

David Skaith, the elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, recently said he does not expect funding for full dualling of the A64 between York and Scarborough to materialise any time soon, despite continuing to support improvements to the route.

“I will continue to press the need for it, but I don’t see £500m coming anytime soon and we are working with National Highways as well and looking at what other options there are.”

He added: “This is a project that’s been bandied about for decades.

"The Conservatives, when they had Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on patch, didn’t do anything about it.

“We’re still working with Government to say it is important, but it’s at least a £500m project.

"No-one’s got £500m. Certainly I don’t have.”

National Highways has said it is continuing feasibility work on safety improvements at the Common Lane and Towthorpe Moor Lane junctions and expects that work to continue until 2027.