Motorists still reeling after weeks of disruption to Bingley's Main Street are about to be hit again.

The Highways Agency has announced that a major £380,000 scheme, lasting three months, is to start on Wednesday on the busy A650 at Cottingley Bar, near Bingley.

It is part of the Agency's on-going programme to maintain and improve the standard of trunk roads in the region.

The Cottingley Bar/Southlands Avenue section of the A650 will be resurfaced and in some places reconstructed where necessary.

Street lighting will be replaced and the traffic signals at Cottingley Bar will be upgraded to cater for pedestrians.

At various times the road will have to be reduced to one lane with temporary traffic lights in operation.

But this will not be necessary for the first four weeks of the project after which the contractors will not be able to impose traffic restrictions until after 9.30am during Monday to Friday.

An alternative route will be clearly signposted to divert traffic to their destinations via the A65.

Closures will be necessary on adjacent side roads at various times. Cottingley New Road will have to be closed on several Sundays at its junction wih the A650. Diversion routes will be signposted where appropriate.

Highways project manager Susan Housley said: "The A650 is heavily used by traffic, particularly at peak times, therefore some inconvenience is inevitable.

"However, no traffic restrictions will be in operation until after the fourth week of the scheme and then only after the morning peak period.

"After those times we would strongly advise drivers to follow our diversion signs or seek an alternative route.

"Once the work is complete motorists will be able to enjoy the improved comfort and safety of their journey along this section of the A650."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.