Bedale bypass opens

The first vehicles drove the three-mile length of Bedale bypass after the new road was opened by Roads Minister Andrew Jones two months ahead of schedule.

The bypass is designed to ease congestion by reducing traffic through Bedale, Leeming Bar and Aiskew by half from approximately 14,000 vehicles a day.

It will also reduce environmental and road safety problems, improve access to the A1(M) for local communities and improve access to Leeming Bar industrial estate.

The 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 the junction created as part of Highways England’s A1 Dishforth to Barton upgrade.

Work began in February 2015 and finished about two months ahead of the anticipated completion in autumn. The project, which was budgeted at about £34.5m, is expected to come in under budget.