The reopening of 'Danger Bank', a key route linking Whitby to Ruswarp, has been delayed until 2027 following further extensive winter slippage, prompting disappointment from local representatives.
The road known locally as Danger Bank will not be open to traffic until next year, according to North Yorkshire Council.
The steep section of Glen Esk Road, which links Whitby to Ruswarp, has been closed following a major road slip. The prolonged closure has caused local traffic to take longer alternative routes, resulting in congestion across the surrounding area.
Whitby councillor Linda Wild originally sought assurances that repairs would be completed this year to resolve the ongoing disruption.
She said the road has been closed since August 2024 due to a major road slip and is causing local traffic to take "annoying, longer alternative routes, thus causing congestion elsewhere."
However, North Yorkshire Council has confirmed that further damage to the road over the winter months means the original repair plans are no longer viable and the timeline has been pushed back.
Liz Colling from North Yorkshire Council said:
"I'm afraid I don't have a show to say that it will be 2026, but I'll read you the response from the Highways team. Design and funding were in place for the repair works to be carried out in 2026. However, following further extensive slippage over the winter period, the original design is no longer considered feasible, and it cannot be amended in time to allow the works to proceed this year. An options review is currently underway with a revised design to be developed this year, with the aim of delivering the works as soon as possible in 2027."
The announcement that the reopening will be delayed until 2027 has prompted severe disappointment from local representatives, who highlight the daily practical difficulties faced by residents travelling between Whitby and Ruswarp.
Councillor Wild said:
"We don't have a butcher's shop in Whitby. And to get to the butcher's in Ruswarp, we have to we have to we have to travel miles. And that was the road where people, I mean that's just one example of the necessity of it. In the traffic round Whitby, in summer and more or less all year around, it's just impossible. So, I'm I'm very disappointed on behalf of the people in Whitby that this this is not going to be done until 2027 and we got complete assurance that it will be done then because the longer this goes on the more slippage and more impossible the situation will be."
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