Investing in York’s future and a UK first for unearthing York’s past
One of the largest single investments in York’s transport infrastructure has taken a major step forward this week, and for the first time in the UK residents are invited to join archaeologists to unearth any secrets that one of the sites may hold.
A selected list of contractors have been asked to provide their best value offer to construct the £21.9m Access York (Phase 1) scheme which will help deliver the enhanced Park & Ride service for the city.
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Following receipt of the tenders in December and an evaluation by the council final approval for the scheme will be sought from the Department of Transport (DfT) in early 2013. The new sites should be open by April 2014.
The contract is for the construction of a replacement 1,100 space Park & Ride site at Askham Bar, a new 600 space site at Poppleton Bar, a major upgrade of the A59/A1237 Ring Road roundabout including a pedestrian and cyclist subway, and bus priority measures down Boroughbridge & Poppleton Roads.
The bus priority measures along Boroughbridge Road are due to start shortly and will be completed in advance of the start of the main construction works near Poppleton.
In addition to this, for the first time in the UK an excavation has been set up on the Poppleton site so that members of the public can work side-by-side with commercial (professional) archaeologists to help unearth and research a part of York’s history.
By the time the excavation ends next month, nearly 200 residents of all ages will have taken part in the scheme and excavating over 20 trenches.
The excavation will throw light on the development of settlement and exploitation of this area in the late prehistoric and Romano-British periods.
Residents and those interested in what has been found on this site will be able to find out more during an open weekend on 17 and 18 November. For more details please contact: John Oxley, City of York Council archaeologist on 01904 551550 or email archaeology@york.gov.uk
John Oxley, City of York Council archaeologist, said: “This archaeological project has been designed to explore how members of the public can come and volunteer on a dig and work alongside full-time archaeologists. Normal practice on commercial excavations would be to keep the public at arms-length as passive observers, sometimes not even given that opportunity. York has a excellent record in developing community archaeology. This project, probably the first in the UK to be set up this way, will see if community involvement can be taken to this level on most commercial archaeological projects in York”.
Details of the scheme are available on the council’s website at www.york.gov.uk/transport/Parking/Park_and_Ride/new/2011-09-09/