NORTH Yorkshire Council says work to repair a landslip on the A59 at Kex Gill has so far cost the authority £1.8m.

The road, which is a vital route between Harrogate, Skipton and into the Dales, closed fully on February 2 after a crack appeared next to the carriageway a week earlier. 

It’s led to a lengthy diversion route for motorists through Ilkley which is set to continue until the end of June.

This week the council agreed to allocate £10m from its reserves that could be spent on cost overruns for major schemes.

Businesses along the A59 have also been counting the cost of the closure but have seen calls for financial compensation rejected by North Yorkshire Council.

In an update released yesterday (May 30), the council said contractors are working on evenings and weekends to ensure the road reopens before the end of next month.

North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said: “We thank residents and businesses for their continued patience whilst these essential works are carried out. Work is progressing well on-site, and the full 85 metres of steel sheets – known as piles – to create the structural wall are now in place.

“The reconstruction of the road behind the newly installed sheet piles is under way, along with drainage works and the relocation of telephone cables. Working hours have been extended, as well as weekend working, and we still anticipate the road to reopen before the end of June.”

 The section of the A59 is prone to landslips and last year work began on a major £68.9m realignment of the road.