North Yorkshire County Council has performed another u-turn to avoid travel problems for people going for vaccinations in Ripon.

For the second time in seven weeks, the council's highways department has had to hit the brakes on plans to close a bridge on a key diversion route.

The bridge over the River Ure on Boroughbridge Road was due to close for inspection all day tomorrow.

But alert resident Paul Stockburn pointed out that such a move would have caused problems because Boroughbridge Road is already serving as a diversion for a section of the nearby Dishforth Road that is closed for road works.

Had the closure gone ahead, it would have created difficulties for people driving along Boroughbridge Road in and out of Ripon.

The bridge, which is half a mile from Ripon racecourse vaccination centre, was first due to close for inspection on 19 January.

But six days earlier part of Dishforth Road closed for eight weeks for work by Yorkshire Water. It remains closed.

When Mr Stockburn pointed this out, the highways department said it would re-schedule the bridge closure when Yorkshire Water's pipe renewal work was complete.

So Mr Stockburn, who lives in Copt Hewick, was surprised to see road closure signs appear again this week. He told the Stray Ferret:

After receiving a call from Mr Stockburn, the Stray Ferret contacted NYCC to let it know the Dishforth Road closure was ongoing.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the council, apologised and said:

Read more:

• How NYCC avoided Ripon road chaos the first time


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The importance of the Boroughbridge Road diversion route, increased on February 2 when the covid vaccination centre opened at Ripon racecourse.