CONSTRUCTION work on a new £34.5m bypass is officially underway after the first sod was cut to signal the start of the 18-month project.

The three-mile long Bedale, Aiskew and Leeming Bar bypass will take the main A684 road into the Dales around the communities. The first major work to be carried out will be the construction of roundabouts at each end of the scheme.

An exhibition about the work is being held at Bedale Hall on Friday, March 13 between 2pm and 8pm and Saturday, March 14 between 9am and 2pm when people will get the chance to look at the proposals and speak to the project team.

North Yorkshire Highways says around 14,000 vehicles use the road every day, causing considerable congestion and the new route will cut traffic flow through the town and urban areas by half.

It says it will also improve access to Leeming Bar industrial estate and to the A1M for local communities, as well as reducing environmental and road safety problems.

The construction contract was awarded to Wills Bros Ltd in August and they have been carrying out detailed design, planning and preparation work ahead of the start of the main building. The company has also been carrying out an archaeological investigation of a Roman Villa which will be affected by the route.

Cash for the bypass has come from the Department for Transport, which is putting up £29.2m, with the rest being funded by the county council, which is paying £5.4m towards the cost.

Bedale Cllr John Weighell, leader of North Yorkshire County Council said: “The Bedale bypass has been long-awaited and will greatly reduce congestion in Bedale, as well as Leeming Bar and Aiskew. We are very pleased to mark the start of the works. The work will begin with construction of the roundabouts at each end of the scheme and obviously this will cause some disruption, but our contractors will make sure that this is kept to a minimum.”

The new road will leave the existing A684 Northallerton Road, on the eastern outskirts of Leeming Bar, taking the bypass over the Wensleydale railway and Bedale Beck and through Rectory Wood, before rejoining the A684 near Bedale Golf Club.

It will cross the A1M approximately halfway, connecting to the new junction which has been built as part of the upgrading of the motorway from Dishforth to Barton.

The road is due to be finished in Autumn 2016.