NEW technology will be used to cut congestion and improve a pedestrian crossing in York.

Outdated traffic lights at the junctions of Kathryn Avenue and Jockey Lane at Monks Cross will be replaced by City of York Council later this month.

The council say the works will cause up to a month of disruption, with temporary crossings in place, but said the new signals would be an improvement not just for pedestrians, but also to reduce traffic problems - particularly around events at the new Community Stadium.

A spokeswoman said: “The introduction of CCTV and updated vehicle detection will allow traffic to be monitored and managed more effectively than the existing signal infrastructure. There will also be some minor amendments to the footway and pedestrian crossings at the junction.

“The new venue is predicted to impact on the existing transport network, which will change the travel patterns and vehicle volumes at the junction. The traffic signal equipment whilst not life expired, will not provide the flexibility and communications features that would assist in minimising the impacts of the travel changes that might occur when the stadium opens.”

The new equipment will include low-energy LED lights, and “extra low voltage equipment”, which the council said would be “electrically safer”.

As reported in The Press, traffic lights can be linked directly to the council’s Traffic and Control Centre, which means the authority can monitor and manage the flow of traffic during busy periods.

The council said it expected two-way traffic to continue during peak traffic hours during the work, and temporary crossing points would be in place with traffic marshals between 7am and 7pm to help pedestrians cross the road.

Work is due to start on the site on Monday, April 29, and could take up to a month to complete, with working hours between 7.30am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am to 3pm on Saturdays. The council urged residents to plan ahead, expect delays and consider alternative routes or public transport - which is not expected to be affected - where possible. More information at itravelyork.info