HIGHWAYS bosses have abandoned unpopular plans to divert hundreds of vehicles a day from the A1 through the middle of Leeming Bar during the ongoing construction works.

Contractors working on behalf of The Highways Agency, which is delivering the scheme to upgrade the A1 to motorway standard, considered opening up Leases Road as a relief slip-road for southbound traffic.

The existing junction with the A684 will be temporarily forced out of commission by roadworks.

Using Leases Road could potentially have seen hundreds of extra cars a day journeying through Leeming Bar.

A Highways Agency spokesman said it aborted the plans after listening to the views of local people.

He said: "The option to use Leases Road as a diversion route during the closure of the A1 southbound slip road at Leeming Bar was just one of a number of options under consideration.

"The Highways Agency and its contractors were aware there were local concerns about this option.

"Bearing in mind these views, and after studying information from traffic monitoring, it has been decided not to pursue this option."

Alternative routes are currently under discussion with North Yorkshire County Council.

The spokesman said some construction traffic will have to use Leases Road, but added "every effort" is being made to minimise disruption for local residents.

A temporary slip road off the northbound A1 near Leases quarry, north of the existing A684 and Leases Road,is being constructed as an alternative route for site traffic.

Members of the public had criticised the proposals, along with parish and district councillors, who said Leeming’s road network is not geared up for such an influx of traffic.

Concerns were raised about the roundabout by furniture store Simply Dutch, with critics of the plan fearing gridlock.

Councillor Arthur Barker, Hambleton District Council’s member of Leeming, was against the plan.

He said they would have had a "detrimental effect", on Leases Road and the roundabout.

Work on the Dishforth to Leeming section of £340m upgrade has got under way in recent weeks.

Preparatory work on the Leeming to Barton section is ongoing.

The project will complete the ‘missing link’ in the motorway network between London and the North-East.

Last month, the existing A1/A684 junction was temporarily close due to preliminary upgrade work.

On that occasion, southbound A1 traffic headed for Bedale was diverted to the turn-off for RAF Leeming and back onto the northbound carriageway.