The cost of the York Station Gateway scheme is to spiral past £60m – and the work on the final phase of the work won’t be finished until 2029.
City leaders are set to hear next week that the project has been delayed yet again – and the price tag has gone up by another £5.4 million.
That takes the total cost of the project to £60.104 million.
The highways phase of the scheme, which was originally forecast to finish last year, is now due to end later this summer.
Council bosses say a series of unexpected hurdles caused the delays and extra costs.
More work was needed on the retaining wall protecting York’s historic city walls.
Then a hidden underground Victorian tank was discovered. There were also delays sorting out a lease for a local electricity substation.
The council plans to fund the majority of the extra £5.4m needed “from transport capital budget underspends on other projects”.
Changes this weekend
Despite the financial headaches, a month of night works in June means the end is finally in sight for the main road layout.
But before we get there, there is some major weekend disruption coming up for bus passengers.
From 8pm on Friday 3 July until 6am on Monday 6 July, the bus stops right outside York Station will be completely out of use.
Crews will be laying an extra-tough “Hardicrete” surface to make sure the bus lanes stand the test of time.
Here is what you need to know if you are heading past the station this weekend:
- The road stays open: Two-way traffic will still be able to pass through, but expect delays as temporary traffic lights will be in place.
- Bus diversions: Buses will be diverted away from the front of the station, but a special shuttle bus will be running to help people get to where they need to go.
- Car parks: The short-stay station car park will remain open as normal.
First look at new features
Once the weekend disruption is out of the way, the council says areas will gradually begin to open up.
Station Road has now been fully resurfaced into its final layout. Over the next few weeks, workers will finish painting the road markings and pull back the barriers.
The project will also bring a tech upgrade for York pedestrians.
The newly installed traffic lights feature the city’s very first pedestrian countdown timers, showing you exactly how many seconds you have left to cross safely.
Cyclists can also look forward to a brand-new cycle lane on the city walls side of the road opening soon, highlighted by bright green Tarmac at key junctions.
Revised timetable
There’s a revised timetable for the York Station works.
Package 1, diverting the utilities, is 95% complete. Package 2, the highways works, should be completed this summer.
Package 3, the Station Works, “will be delivered in partnership with LNER and are currently in the design stage with a planned works commencement in Spring 2027 which will run for approximately two years,” the council report says.
Package 4, the loop road works, involves the purchase of land from Network Rail. It is expected to commence on site in Spring 2027 and take about one year.
Package 5, the multi-storey car park (MSCP), is funded and delivered by Network Rail. The main work is due to commence this summer with a one-year delivery programme.
‘Hugely complex’
Councillor Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport, thanked residents for their patience through the recent night closures.
“In spite of the wide range of weather conditions we’ve experienced in June, significant progress has been made,” she said. “With the road resurfaced and with more and more areas gradually opening up over the next few weeks, people will start to feel more of the benefits.”
Councillor Katie Lomas, executive member for finance, admitted it has been a “hugely complex project to deliver” but insisted lessons have been learned after recent audits into how the council manages its money.
“Our focus is on completing these works as quickly as possible so that people get to experience the benefits of the new spaces,” she added.
The full financial update will be debated by senior councillors at the Executive Meeting on Tuesday 7 July.
