It is not only motorists, snarling in the snarl-ups, who are suffering. Pedestrians must dodge heavy traffic when they cross the street. Cyclists are breathing in the extra fumes generated by standing traffic. The main cause of the congestion is the upgrade of the A64 Copmanthorpe junction. This stretch of road could barely accommodate the traffic when all four lanes were open.
Long tailbacks are now the norm.
Add to this the roadworks on the outer ring road at Rawcliffe, and the emergency water main repairs that will keep Cemetery Road in York closed for six weeks, and nasty jams were inevitable. Drivers faced with long delays are desperately seeking alternative routes. Today, City of York Council finally acknowledged the problem and sought urgent talks with the Highways Agency. It is odd that it has taken so long. We must assume the agency drew up forecasts for the knock-on effects of the Copmanthorpe work.