One of the best known tourist routes in the Yorkshire Dales will be disrupted in the run up to the main holiday season over the next three weeks as essential work is carried out on an underground culvert.

Engineers discovered after an inspection that the culvert on the main A684 Burtersett Road into Hawes in Wensleydale is in a poor condition and urgent work is needed to repair and strengthen it. Work is starting on Monday, July 4 and highways bosses are planning for it to will be completed in three weeks, before the main school summer holidays begin.

North Yorkshire County Council’s bridges team say the culvert under Burtersett Road has to be strengthened to prevent it degrading any further. To try and reduce disruption the work will be carried out in phases with alternative lane closures using three way traffic lights.

County Councillor Yvonne Peacock, who represents the Upper Dales division, said: “There will be two phases to the work in order to avoid a full road closure to reduce disruption as much as possible.

“We appreciate that this is going to cause some level of inconvenience to local residents and businesses but we ask for your patience during the working period. We will of course keep the public updated as work progresses.”

The council say on-site personnel will assist in managing vehicle access to properties and businesses within the closure but there may be times when access is not possible, although they say pedestrian access will be maintained.

More details about the situation on site will be posted on the county’s road works map as the repairs start. See www.northyorks.gov.uk/roadworks-map