It will be in use for several months – possibly right through to November – as contractors work on a completely new road layout in front of the station as part of the York Station Gateway project.
As reported in The Press yesterday, parts of Station Road and the Queen Street Bridge itself will be closed both this weekend and next weekend – from 8pm on the Friday to 6pm on the following Monday each weekend – for vital preparation work connected to the project.
This weekend, contractors will be completing the temporary new road and making sure it can link up smoothly to the rest of the city’s inner ring road.
Then, next weekend, Queen Street Bridge itself will be demolished.
After that, the temporary road will keep traffic flowing while contractors John Sisk & Son work on a completely new road layout in front of the station.
James Gilchrist, City of York Council’s director of transport and planning, said the temporary road would have the same capacity as the Queen Street Bridge.
It will be tarmacked and will have two lanes, allowing traffic to flow in both directions, he said – so there should not be major traffic problems over the summer once the Queen Street Bridge has been demolished, despite the ongoing work.
What council bosses are worried about, however, is this weekend and next weekend.
With parts of Station Road and the Queen Street Bridge itself both closed throughout each weekend, motorists have been urged to leave their cars at home and find alternative ways of getting into the city centre.
However, despite the warnings, council bosses insist that the city will remain open for business.
The main station car park will be closed, along with the Queen Street Bridge.
But the station itself will remain open, with trains to and from York running as usual.
And while normal bus routes will be diverted, a free shuttle bus running every 15 minutes will operate over both weekends, running from Blossom Street to Nunnery Lane, Rougier Street, Station Rise and back.
Businesses and other organisations in York city centre will remain fully open throughout, the council insists – even those close to the ongoing work, such as the York RI.
Cllr Kilbane said: “The station, city centre and our brilliant businesses are open as usual throughout the works.
“To minimise congestion, it is more important than ever for visitors to arrive by train or Park&Ride and for residents, if possible, to leave the car at home.
“Together we can all reduce the amount of traffic on our streets to the benefit of everyone coming into our beautiful city, freeing up the roads for essential users such as blue lights, blue badges, deliveries, and those carrying heavy loads.”
For information on the Queen Street Bridge project, closures and diversions, go to: www.york.gov.uk/StationGateway
