WORK is about to begin on a long awaited upgrade to a major road junction – with financial help from the company behind a planned huge potash mine.

Sirius Minerals, the company behind the proposed potash mine at Sneaton, are contributing £400,000 towards the £705,000 scheme.

It will see much-needed improvements to signalling and pedestrian crossings at Mayfield Road junction at Whitby, which carries the arterial routes from Scarborough and Teesside in and out of the town.

The planning permission for the company’s new mine requires the junction to be improved and the company has now offered to work with the county council to bring about the upgrade early to support and improve Whitby’s transport infrastructure.

And the authority has this week agreed to the planned upgrade, which will start on April 11, on the condition that the work is completed in July in advance of Whitby’s key tourist season.

Local county councillor Joe Plant said: “This is very good news for Whitby.

“This improvement has been long awaited by Whitby’s residents, visitors and road users. The junction has increasingly become unfit for purpose and a significant safety issue for pedestrians.

“The offer by Sirius Minerals to bring about these improvements early is therefore very welcome. It will make a big difference to traffic flow in the town and crucially the work will be completed before the busy summer season starts.”

In addition to funding from Sirius towards the scheme, there will be over £200,000 of contributions from planning agreements currently held by Scarborough Borough Council. The county council will be contributing just over £86,000.