POLICE are trying to trace the driver of a lorry which smashed into the level crossing barriers at Cross Hills.

Railtrack engineers had to be brought in following the incident at around 8.55am on Friday when one of the crossing barriers' arms was completely knocked off.

The driver of the vehicle involved, believed to be an HGV, did not stop at the scene.

British Transport Police and officers from the North Yorkshire force were brought in to help divert traffic while the repairs were carried out.

A spokesman for Railtrack said trains travelling along that stretch of the Airedale line were delayed for an average of seven minutes as their speeds had to be cut as they approached the crossing.

The barrier was repaired and both rail and road traffic was back to normal by around 2pm.

Anyone with any information on the accident should get in touch with British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, and quote incident number 137.

As officers dealt with the incident, members of North Yorkshire's area highways committee were discussing ways to reduce traffic jams caused by the level crossing.

As the Herald reported last week, highways experts have come up with a route for a new road which would involve building a bridge over the railway line at a cost of £2.2 million.

However, members were warned that money for the project was scarce.

Now the county council is to ask Craven District and nearby parish councils for their views on the idea before taking the matter any further.

It has also agreed to investigate the possibility of any road joining Eastburn bridge, instead of the Dalesway junction, as first mooted, following concerns by Glusburn councillor Philip Barrett.

Councillors are set to visit the site later this year to look at the situation first hand.

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