A170 Sutton Bank reopens after three-week closure for drainage and resurfacing work

North Yorkshire Council reopened the A170 at Sutton Bank to traffic on Sunday 4 October after a three-week closure for rock face maintenance, drainage improvements and resurfacing, which it said finished on schedule.

The council said it improved the drainage system in the area during the closure, alongside routine maintenance of the rock face. A new road surface was laid and road markings were replaced in the final stages.

Cllr Malcolm Taylor, executive member for highways and transport at North Yorkshire Council, said: "The closure allowed our teams to carry out a range of essential maintenance and improvements on this unique section of our road network safely."

Drainage redesign

The council said the project faced challenges when contractors came across natural springs serving two houses along the route.

To protect those water supplies, the drainage design was adapted and sections of the new system were diverted, according to the council.

Cllr Taylor said: "These improvements will help to ensure Sutton Bank remains safe and resilient for all road users."

A longer closure than in earlier years

Sutton Bank is on the A170 between Thirsk and Helmsley, on the western edge of the North York Moors National Park. The council closes the road each year for maintenance, which it said is needed because of the one-in-four gradient.

Earlier council announcements show the closure has been shorter in previous years. In 2023 it ran from 7am on 10 September to 7pm on 17 September, and in 2024 from 7am on Sunday 8 September to 7pm on Sunday 15 September.

The 2024 work included inspecting the slope face to prevent rock falls, checking boreholes for landslips and clearing overhanging vegetation, the council said at the time.

In a statement to the council, Cllr Taylor said the 2025 programme was completed ahead of programme, with the bank reopening at 9.45am on 13 September 2025.

The council said the annual closure allows safety work and infrastructure improvements to be carried out while limiting disruption for the rest of the year. Cllr Taylor's statement described the stretch as part of the council's Key Route Network and said coordinating several activities in one closure keeps disruption down, given the length of the diversion.

During the 2023 closure, the signed diversion ran from Thirsk south on the A19 to the York Ring Road, then along the A64 and A169 to Pickering and back onto the A170.

The route

According to the council's page on Sutton Bank, the eastbound A170 climbs 160 metres from the Vale of York to the top of the North York Moors in under a mile. The bank has three sections of 1:4 (25%) incline along its length.

The council said that, on average, two goods vehicles a day face delays of up to four hours climbing the bank.

More than 120 goods vehicles a year on average fail to make the ascent and need police assistance to proceed, according to the council.

The council said this year's work forms part of its ongoing programme to maintain and improve the road.