MOTORISTS facing lengthy delays at temporary traffic lights on the A65 near Victoria Avenue in Ilkley have been told the signals are being operated manually as part of efforts to reduce wider disruption.
Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID) said it had contacted Bradford Council's Traffic and Highways team after receiving concerns about significant queues and waiting times at the roadworks.
According to the BID, the council explained that the temporary signals are not running on fixed timings and are instead being controlled manually, with traffic management arrangements under close review.
The council said traffic approaching Ilkley from Addingham is being held for longer periods because of limited road capacity on the Ilkley side of the works.
It said this approach is designed to prevent queues backing up towards the Brook Street junction, where congestion could interfere with the permanent traffic signals and have a wider impact on the town's road network.
The temporary traffic management is linked to work being carried out by Yorkshire Water to connect a new housing development on Skipton Road to the water network. The utility company began the scheme on Monday, July 27, and the programme is expected to take around four weeks to complete.
The delays have also been compounded by a separate incident on Skipton Road today (July 29). Yorkshire Water has confirmed it is dealing with a burst water main, which has required an additional set of temporary traffic lights in the area.
The company said it hopes to complete the repair as quickly as possible so the second set of lights can be removed and disruption reduced.
While acknowledging the arrangement means longer waits for drivers travelling from the Addingham direction, Bradford Council said the manual operation of the lights is currently the most practical way to manage traffic through the works while keeping vehicles moving on the Ilkley side.
Ilkley BID shared the update on social media following complaints from motorists about delays at the temporary lights.
Bradford Council said some disruption is unavoidable while the work is carried out, but added that the traffic management measures will continue to be actively monitored.
A spokesperson for Ilkley BID said: "Following concerns about significant delays at the temporary traffic lights on the A65 near Victoria Avenue and the Ilkley Lawn & Tennis Club, Ilkley BID have been in contact with Bradford Council's Traffic & Highways Team for an explanation."
The spokesperson added that the council had reassured them that the situation was being monitored and that the current arrangements were intended to minimise the overall impact on the road network.
Yorkshire Water confirmed that as of today (29 July), traffic lights will be manually managed between 7am and 7pm, which was previously only the case during peak periods, to enable traffic to flow as effectively as possible.
The utility company said the sequencing of the temporary traffic lights, when not manually operated, has been reviewed and adjusted, adding that: "Further to this, the work area has been reconfigured, with the team now working in phases to reduce the size of the active work zone, enabling the length of the single-lane section to be shortened."
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We have listened to the concerns of residents, business owners, and those using this part of the A65, and made some changes to the traffic management arrangements accordingly – we hope that this makes a difference. We’ll continue monitoring the situation closely and will make adjustments wherever possible to help keep disruption to a minimum.”
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding whilst we complete the work, and ask that everyone complies with the temporary traffic signals as not doing so can lead to further disruption.
"The roadworks are required to enable Yorkshire Water to safely connect the new development on Skipton Road to the clean water network."
Residents and motorists are being advised to allow extra time for journeys while both the roadworks and water main repair remain ongoing.
