End in sight for major junction roadworks at Crown Tavern in Scarborough after car crashed into new traffic lights

The silver car, believed to be a Ford Focus with two people inside, smashed into a set of traffic lights on Scalby Road, as it turned right into the road from Falsgrave Road – just hours after they were switched on for the first time.

It happened at around 1.15am on Saturday April 2, and the area was swiftly cordoned off by police. The collision was captured on video by a resident's home CCTV camera next to the junction.

The work outside the Crown Tavern to replace the roundabout with traffic lights and new pedestrian crossings has been beset by delays, largely caused by hold-ups from utility companies.

North Yorkshire County Council said the completion date for the roadworks has been delayed to the end of April, which was running four weeks behind schedule last month.

Traffic is now suffering some delays at the Seamer Road-Falsgrave Road junction as work at that junction continues with temporary traffic lights and lane closures in place.

Richard Marr, North Yorkshire County Council's Highways Area Manager said the new Crown Tavern traffic lights will be configured with those at the Seamer Road-Falsgrave Road junction once roadworks have been completed.

"We are hoping to complete the junction two weeks earlier than planned but this is dependent on Northern Gas Network's timescale for completing the replacement of their gas main, which must be finished before we will be able to resurface the carriageway near Seamer Road corner," Mr Marr said.

He added that there may be slight delays for traffic, but that the junction will be a lot safer for pedestrians.

The highways team at North Yorkshire County Council said that the car crash had not caused the Crown Tavern scheme any delays, and new posts were swiftly installed.

It is the last of four junctions around town to benefit from improvements in a £4m scheme; the junction has been widened with new traffic lights and crossings.