A COBBLED road leading to Durham Cathedral which is used by thousands of visitors each year is to be closed to pedestrians throughout the summer.

Owengate, which is used by most of the 700,000 people who visit the World Heritage Site each year, will be closed to pedestrians and vehicles on weekdays while work takes places to improve disabled access.

Durham County Council is to widen the footpaths on the short stretch of road to improve disabled access to Palace Green Library, Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle.

While the improvements are being carried out, the council will also be carrying out work on behalf of Durham University which will allow it to upgrade its ICT systems.

Work will begin on Monday and continue throughout the summer visitor season until September.

Owengate will be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles every weekday from 8.30am to 4.30pm while work is being carried out.

The Cathedral Bus which normally reaches Palace Green via Owengate will not be able to do so while work is taking place, with the service re-routed from Saddler Street down North Bailey and stopping behind the Cathedral, with a temporary bus stop set up in Dun Cow Lane.

Pedestrian access to the library, cathedral and castle will still be possible via Dun Cow Lane.

John Reed, the council’s head of technical services, said: “Palace Green really is a fantastic setting with the magnificent Cathedral drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.

“It is therefore really important that we ensure that access to it is as good as it can be for both able-bodied and, in particular, disabled visitors.

“We have planned this work to keep disruption to a minimum with pedestrian access still possible via Dun Cow Lane and a temporary stop there for the Cathedral Bus.

“Owengate will also be fully open at weekends when more people are visiting Palace Green, as well as every evening."

He added: “We are also minimising disruption by carrying out the work which will benefit the university at the same time.”

The works are part of a two-year programme of £1.84m investment by the council, to improve roads and footpaths across Durham City.