THE main road through Leyburn will be closed overnight for a month for resurfacing as part of a massive £7m scheme to improve the A684 which has been identified as one of 50 most dangerous A-roads in the country.

The aim is to upgrade and make safer the road, which stretches from the A1(M) at Leeming Bar in North Yorkshire to the M6 on the edge of the lakes.

The work will start on Monday with the A684 closing between 7pm and 2am each night. North Yorkshire County Council’s highways teams will carry out the work on from the High Street junction to Tennants Auctioneers. Officials say due to the nature of the resurfacing, the A684 in both directions will be closed during working hours with a signed diversion in place.

Leyburn councillor Karin Sedgwick said: "This resurfacing scheme is part of a series of improvements being carried out in Leyburn through the Safer Roads Fund, which includes the installation of a mini-roundabout at the A684/Brentwood junction and the repositioning of the mini-roundabout outside the Bolton Arms Hotel.

"The work will take place on an evening to avoid peak-hour traffic however we apologise in advance for any disruption it may cause. We hope these safety improvements will be welcomed by everybody who travels through the town centre."

On-site personnel will manage access to properties and businesses within the closure however there may be times when access is not possible. For live updates and details of the diversion people are asked to go to www.northyorks.gov.uk/roadworks-map

The county council says the work is part of £7.06m awarded to fund a series of safety improvement projects on the A684 from Leeming Bar to Junction 37 of the M6. It was one of four successful bids to the Safer Roads Fund, which is offered to local authorities to upgrade 50 A-roads identified as being the most dangerous in the country.