WORK will begin soon to widen North Street at the junction with Cavendish Street in Keighley.

Bradford Council contractors will create an extra lane for left-turning traffic approaching from the direction of the Picture House cinema.

They will use a strip of the land freed up by the recent demolition of the former Keighley College building in North Street.

This will be the first part of a £60,000 project to help ease traffic congestion in the centre of Keighley.

Construction work is due to start in early September and the various alterations, designed to improve traffic flow along North Street, are expected to take around five months to complete. The project is part of a wider package of alterations to create incremental improvements to the Keighley’s traffic-choked highway system.

The Council pledged that before work starts, local businesses, residents and councillors will receive letters informing them of what is to take place.

Signs will be erected to warn motorists that there may be congestion in the area while work is being carried out.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, the Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said he was glad the opportunity had come up to use the former college land to widen the highway.

He said: “From studies we have carried out, the scheme looks like really good value for money and has the potential to provide a high level of reduced journey times.

“We would ask people to be patient while the work is ongoing and we are sure everyone will agree that it has been well worth the temporary inconvenience when the scheme is completed and the benefits are self-evident.”

The Council last December approved the wide-ranging package of jam-buster measures after its previous proposal, for a one-way system long Cavendish Street, East Parade and Hanover Street, was rejected.

The current plans include two southbound traffic lanes in North Street between the Cavendish Street and High Street junctions.

Also planned is a one-way system in Albert Street, the redesigning of yellow-box junctions, a dedicated right-turn facility from North Street into Spring Gardens Lane, and better co-ordination and linking of traffic light signals across the town.

The former Keighley College building was demolished earlier this year following several years of unsuccessful attempts to sell the building.

The Council now hopes to use most of the land to build a £9 million ‘hub’, which would provide a base for several public bodies that deal with the public.

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