WORK on a new £6.5m junction to serve the Sowerby Gateway development close to Thirsk is on target.

The new roadway off the A168 should be open next spring as part of the infrastructure stipulated when planning permission for the new homes was granted.

There is expected to be traffic delays at the A168 and B1448 entry and exit slip roads which are both being shut down over while work takes place by North Midland Construction Ltd.

Councillor Mark Robson, leader of Hambleton district and Chairman of Sowerby parish council. “It is a huge project and there will be traffic issues but once it is finished it will make life so much easier.

"The work seems to be progressing well and are on target to be completed next spring.

“This is great news for the people living both in Thirsk and Sowerby – it is going to make a huge difference to their travel into and out of the town.

“The contractor is working hard to minimise disturbance to the residents during the work and thanks them for their patience and co-operation.”

It is being built as part of the Sowerby Gateway development, a three phase plan to build over 900 houses including hundreds of affordable homes and a school.

Originally residents said they were told the road junction would be built before any houses, but the scheme has been dogged by delays and controversy with different developers working on the site.

The main embankments forming the northbound on and off slips, which have been constructed using approximately 50,000 tonnes of imported material, are almost complete which will allow construction of the road above them to begin in earnest.

Work to the new eastern roundabout is also progressing, meaning that work for the construction of the southbound on slip to the A168 can begin.

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