HIGHWAY authorities plan to build a £1.5m bridge to temporarily improve road safety in North Yorkshire.

The bridge, which will not open to traffic until September, will be a short-term solution in plans to improve safety on the A1.

The bridge will be constructed near Rainton on a section of the road that is due to be upgraded to motorway standard.

The Highway Agency's plans also include new T-junctions on the adjoining side roads to allow access.

Steve Sexton, the agency's projects manager, said: "Traffic crossing the A1 at Rainton will be able to use the new bridge, allowing us to close the existing central reserve gap. The aim is to improve safety on this stretch of the A1, which currently carries around 45,000 vehicles a day."