Senior councillor calls for traffic lights as villagers around Scarborough face 'lengthy detours'
Calls for a re-think on road diversions during night time resurfacing work have been made by a senior North Yorkshire Councillor.
Coun David Jeffels, who represents the Derwent Valley and Moor Division which includes the villages of East and West Ayton, Snainton, Sawdon, Brompton-by-Sawdon, Hutton Buscel and Wykeham, has asked NYC’s highways department to use traffic lights rather than lengthy detours on country lanes.
He said: “Many motorists have had to make long alternative journeys, often through forests and narrow country lanes to reach their homes in the evenings between 6pm and midnight because of the confusion caused by the diversion signs.”
Coun Jeffels said the plethora of “road closed” signs had caused much confusion because of their siting by the Leeds-based road surfacing company.
“Staff undertaking the work admitted that they did not know the A170 area because they were from the Leeds and Selby area and were unaware of the complexity of the rural road network,” he said.
"If traffic lights had been in operation, traffic would have been able to keep flowing on the A170 and much angst avoided.
"One of the main concerns has been an increase in motorists using the narrow country lanes which has seen journeys being made through such remote areas as Troutsdale at night to reach Hackness,” said Coun Jeffels.
He has now taken up the issue with senior county highways officers.