About the project
The York Outer Ring Road project aims to:
- reduce congestion and delays on the ring road
- make journey times more reliable
- improve active travel facilities, with a new continuous cycle and pedestrian route from A19 Shipton Road to Strensall Road with safe connections by underpasses or controlled crossings; this will be a new attractive facility promoting opportunities for cycling and walking in York
- make road safety improvements
- redistribute traffic from the city centre and lock in benefits for bus travel, walking and cycling once there is more capacity on the Outer Ring Road; this will improve air quality, cut congestion and shorten journey times for everyone, whichever way you travel
- enable better access to employment, retail, health and leisure sites in York which serve the surrounding population
- facilitate planned commercial and residential development identified in key sites in the Local Plan
- enhance connectivity to the A1(M) and other strategic destinations
- provide a more attractive environment and boost biodiversity within the road corridor
Planning application
A full planning application was approved in April 2024 for upgrades along the York Outer Ring Road from the A19 Shipton Road to the A1036 Little Hopgrove roundabout, and would see improvements to 6 sections of the northern York Outer Ring Road, including 5 roundabouts at:
- Clifton Moor
- Wigginton Road
- Haxby Road
- Strensall Road
- Monks Cross
These 5 roundabouts will be enlarged to a similar size and standard as the A1237/B1224 Wetherby Road roundabout, completed in 2019.
As part of the plans, the existing single-carriageway road will be widened to dual-carriageway roads in both directions to reduce congestion.
Proposed improvements for pedestrians and cyclists
As an important part of the scheme, we're looking to upgrade pedestrian and cycle facilities, creating an orbital cycle and pedestrian route from the A19 Shipton Road roundabout to the Strensall Road roundabout, to help enable the uptake of active travel.
The scheme proposes:
- significant additional pedestrian and cycleway networks, creating safe and attractive routes helping to link residential areas with key employment, retail and educational facilities
- retaining and enhancing all public footpaths and bridleways, with some new connections and safer crossing facilities, increasing connections for communities
- a new underpass at Clifton Moor
- 2 new underpasses at Haxby, in addition to the 2 that exist at present
- a new underpass at Strensall Road roundabout
Landscaping and biodiversity
The project includes a comprehensive landscape scheme, retaining existing trees and hedgerows where we can, and looking at opportunities for ‘net gain’ to provide substantial additional tree planting and landscaping along the route. We're aiming to introduce:
- tree and woodland planting
- species-rich hedgerow planting
- specimen trees and feature planting at key locations
- species-rich grassland, including wildflowers
- a system of sustainable drainage ditches
The landscaping scheme will incorporate a range of biodiversity measures including planting to benefit pollinators. It will complement the local environment, integrating the new road corridor into the fabric of the existing landscape.
We're also committed to the efficient use of natural resources for carbon absorption and will use energy-saving measures wherever we can to reduce the carbon footprint of the scheme.
Also see
York Outer Ring Road - Major Projects Team
Transport Office