Road and highway improvements

Project overview

Local people will enjoy the benefits of new, segregated cycle and pedestrian routes along the southern side of Hard Ings Road and a new toucan crossing at Lawkholme Lane to Royd Way tying into the existing cycle route on Royd Ings Avenue.

Where possible, new native trees will be planted along the roadside and verge areas and any trees needing to be removed for road widening will be replaced with trees either as part of the scheme or nearby. Landscaped areas affected by the construction works will be replanted and the embankment at the cricket ground cleared and replaced with new shrubs and trees.

This scheme completed in November 2020 and was awarded the Best New Infrastructure Project in the Yorkshire and Humber at the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportations awards.

Last updated September 2023

Project overview

Phase 3 of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's CityConnect programme is made up of 8 schemes, 4 of which are complete, and includes a mixture of on and off-highway schemes across West Yorkshire and York. These schemes link in with previous CityConnect phases to further expand the cycling and walking network within West Yorkshire and York.

Project overview

The East Leeds Orbital Route scheme is a new 7km road linking the Orbital Ring Road at Red Hall to Thorpe Park. This scheme is also a key part of the East Leeds Extension to create a major strategic growth area for the city. In addition to the link road the scheme will improve a number of existing outer ring road junctions.

The scheme comprises of a new 50mph dual carriageway with pedestrian and cycle infrastructure. This scheme also includes improvements to the A6120 to the west of Red Hall Lane.

The aim of this scheme is to support the development of East Leeds Extension which is a 225ha housing development area to the East of Leeds, and a 638ha development area for employment users. This scheme will enable the development of land and reduce congestion along the Outer Ring Road.

Last updated February 2024

Project overview

The Glasshoughton Southern Link Road provides a more direct route to the leisure / retail area from Wakefield and Normanton, reduces congestion and improves accessibility. It will result in a significant reduction in traffic on the A639/A6539 corridor immediately North of the Glasshoughton development area.

The additional highway capacity improves conditions for bus services (the Council has secured funding for a new bus service on this route), pedestrians and cyclists.

This scheme also enables the delivery of 1,300 new homes and creates the ability for employment opportunities due to improved connectivity.

Last updated February 2024

Project overview

Both Harrogate Road and New Line are significant routes within Bradford's transport network, linking Bradford with the airport and Leeds.

Harrogate Road is a key commuter route between Bradford, Rawdon and Harrogate, as well as being the primary access between Bradford and Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA). New Line is a key route between Keighley, Shipley, Bingley and Leeds.

Extra right-turn lanes at junctions, a new P-Loop for left and right turns from Harrogate Road onto New Line, the introduction of double yellow lines and responsive traffic signals will help reduce congestion on the two routes.

Cycle lanes and wide inside lanes will enable cyclists to use the junction more safely and more comfortably and also anticipate future potential cycle routes to the railway station. Pedestrians will benefit from new islands, with controlled crossings, tactile pavement surfaces for visually impaired people, a new puffin crossing near Greengates Primary School on Harrogate Road an improved zebra crossing on New Line and new street lighting.

Bus stops will be relocated and upgraded with shelters providing real-time information and , where space permits, dedicated bus bays will be constructed, which will improve overall traffic to flow through the junction.

New trees and grass verges will increase green space around the junction and where trees need to be removed because of the scheme, new ones will be planted to replace them at other locations within the scheme and nearby.

Last updated September 2023

Project overview

The Leeds City Centre Package is a programme of works designed to support Leeds as an Urban Growth Centre as identified in the LCR Strategic Economic Plan (SEP), delivering growth in jobs and housing on the South Bank and enabling the city to be HS2 ready.

Key objectives

• The redevelopment of City Square in line with the City of Culture ambition to allow the creation of a world class gateway for the city.
• Increase the capacity on the Inner Ring Road and M621 orbital route by reconfiguring Armley Gyratory and capacity improvements between Junctions 1 - 4 and Junction 7 M621 by 2024.
• Reduce traffic in the city centre, including the South Bank creating a quality environment attractive to development.
• Increase travel to the centre by sustainable modes of transport.

Infirmary Street Gateway

The Infirmary Street scheme will enhance a major transport gateway to Leeds city centre for bus users, pedestrians, and cycle users, through a series of bus infrastructure, public realm, pedestrian and cycling improvements.

The scheme includes Infirmary Street, Park Row and small lengths of other intersecting junctions. The improvements include the conversion of Infirmary Street (which is currently one-way eastbound) to two-way operation for buses and hackney carriages only. Park Row is to become one-way south-bound operation for buses and hackney carriages only with one running lane and the reallocation of bus bays. This will narrow the carriageway along Park Row, creating wider footways in areas with high pedestrian footfall and creating space for a segregated cycle facility on the northern side of the carriageway.

Last updated February 2024

Armley Gyratory

The Armley Gyratory scheme brings together a package of interventions to reconfigure the highway network at the gyratory junction and associated routes.

Scheme delivery is anticipated to increase the capacity on the Leeds Inner Ring Road and M621 orbital route and capacity improvements between Junctions 1 - 4 and Junction 7 M621. As a result, this will reduce through-traffic in the city centre, including the South Bank, creating a quality environment attractive to development. The scheme will also encourage walking and cycling.

The Armley Gyratory is a key junction on the Inner Ring Road to the west of Leeds city centre. It is a major entry/exit point for traffic travelling through and into the city with an estimated 100,000 vehicles passing through it daily (pre Covid-19).

After two rounds of public consultation the designs have evolved, with feedback being used to understand the features that are most important to local people, which have been retained and enhanced in the new design. The updated designs will:

• Provide more appealing and accessible routes for both cyclists and pedestrians;
• Improve safety for all road users;
• Allow traffic to flow more freely, minimising traffic impacts on local roads;
• Improve the local environment through new landscaping; and
• Help facilitate improvements elsewhere in the city, including no through traffic at City Square.

Last updated February 2024

Meadow Lane (Corn Exchange Gateway)

This scheme is to deliver a series of improvements to bus infrastructure, public realm, pedestrian infrastructure and cycling infrastructure on a number of roads surrounding the Corn Exchange and taking in Vicar Lane, New Market Street, Kirkgate, New York Street, Harper Street, Kirkgate York Street, Cross York Street, Duncan Street, Call Lane, Boar Lane, Lower Briggate, Bridge End and Meadow Lane.

Meadow Lane will be transformed to contribute to Leeds City Council’s vision to produce a City Park. Continuing from Bridge End, the pedestrian and cycleway focus remains. There will be provision of protected two-way cycleway along Meadow Lane between Bridge End and Great Wilson Street and a new toucan crossing adjacent to the proposed location of City Park.

Last updated February 2024

City Square Plus

Closure of City Square to traffic from 2023 plus a series of small complementary schemes to be developed and implemented as a result of the closure of City Square in a combined package called City Square Plus.

A key component of this scheme is the closure of City Square to general traffic from January 2023 to allow the creation of a world class gateway for the city.  A series of smaller complementary schemes which are intended to support the closure of City Square, have been grouped with City Square into a single scheme known as City Square+, which includes East Parade bus gate, business district traffic management, Westgate merge signals at A58(M), Great Wilson St widening, Holbeck traffic management (Globe Road signalisation), a signage strategy and a trial closure (or access restrictions) for City Square and associated traffic management to assist buses, pedestrians and cyclists.

The aim of the scheme is to reduce traffic in City Square, enabling its transformation into a world class public space and gateway to Leeds. This includes closing the square to general traffic, reallocating road space and improving facilities for buses, pedestrians and cyclists, making the city centre a more pleasant place to live, spend time and travel through. Our proposals include changes to the square itself, as well as to Boar Lane, King Street, Wellington Street, Aire Street and Quebec Street.

Last updated February 2024

Project overview

This project will complete a Strategic Outline Business Case to identify improvements to transform the highway network to the West and North-West of Leeds. Proposals will look to unlock a major strategic highway bottleneck caused by limited orbital highway capacity.

Proposals will include the expansion and / or upgrade of the Leeds Northern Outer Ring Road between Dawsons Corner (A647) and Horsforth Roundabout (A65).

The provision of more orbital highway capacity in this section of Leeds complements Leeds’s aspirations to reduce the volume of traffic within its urban area. It would reroute essential highway movements out of the main built up areas, providing options for efficient, congestion free and legible orbital driving routes around the city, on roads that are designed for such purposes.

Last updated March 2024

Project overview

Funding of a Strategic Outline Business Case study to identify and evaluate options for a proposed 16.5km carriageway with an alignment proposed to follow the existing orientation of the A644 and A638 respectively and incorporate a new 9km section.

Following on from an Investment Committee workshop on 8 March 2017, it was agreed that each individual Authority would bring forward their priority transformational scheme for development. Kirklees Council have selected the North Kirklees Orbital Route as their priority scheme

The North Kirklees Orbital Route (NKOR) is a proposed road scheme that will improve access to these potential housing and business development sites, along with alleviating congestion and improving journey time reliability on a strategic transport corridor.

Furthermore, it will reduce traffic volumes along the A644 and therefore relieve congestion along the route for the neighbourhoods of Ravensthorpe and Mirfield in addition to providing an alternative route to access the M1 and M62 motorways. As a result, this will assist with the regeneration of Dewsbury by facilitating changes to its ring road in addition to assisting future developments opportunities at Cooper Bridge and Horbury Junction.

Funding has been allocated for pre-feasibility studies to identify and evaluate options.

Last updated March 2024

Project overview

The Growth Deal approved West Yorkshire + Transport Fund Programme includes £12.5m allocated to the development of “transformational projects” for development work to influence government and other partners to justify future transformational investments such as rail electrification, airport access, rolling out of mass transit and preparing for HS2 and HS3.

Following on from an Investment Committee workshop on 8 March 2017, it was agreed that each individual Authority would bring forward their priority transformational scheme for development. Wakefield Council have selected South Featherstone Link Road as their priority scheme.

Funding for this scheme was allocated for a pre-feasibility study to identify and evaluate options.

A strategic case is being investigated for a series of link roads around Featherstone, Ackworth and Pontefract. A strategic outline case was prepared in December 2019 and Wakefield Council are currently progressing this scheme independently. 

Last updated in March 2024

Project overview

The Growth Deal approved West Yorkshire + Transport Fund Programme includes £12.5m allocated to the development of “transformational projects” for development work to influence government and other partners to justify future transformational investments such as rail electrification, airport access, rolling out of mass transit and preparing for HS2 and HS3.

Following an Investment Committee workshop on 8 March 2017, it was agreed that each individual Authority would bring forward their priority transformational scheme for development. 

The A1237 is a key strategic route for east-west journeys and more northern areas of the Leeds City Region.

The upgrade of the A1237 to dual two lane all purpose (D2AP) carriageway would build on the roundabout upgrades which have already or are due to be delivered before 2021 though the WY+TF.

City of York Council are progressing on a pre-feasibility study for dualling the A1237 Outer Ring Road as their priority scheme, in order to identify and evaluate options as part of pre-feasibility development and evidence gathering for a future major project to increase the capacity of the A1237 to dual carriageway standard. The development work will include transport and economic modelling to establish the benefits of the overall scheme (and individual sections of the scheme); develop a number of detailed, costed options that provide multiple routes for further project development and delivery; based on options identified, develop a (or a number of) phasing strategy(s) for delivery; assess future network resilience that proposals would deliver; and sufficient design and investigation work to estimate the cost.  

The current study is underway and a report will be produced by the end of 2018. This will consider whether all of the Outer Ring Road requires dualling and will determine the best value phasing in the short term to meet the long term aim of a better east-west strategic route.

Last updated March 2024

Project overview

Presently, there are four Urban Traffic Control (UTC) teams, which operate in West Yorkshire and they use various systems and technologies. Whilst the teams share resources where possible, the service levels and standards vary across boundaries, meaning it is not the most efficient use of resources.

The West Yorkshire UTMC project aims to reduce the effects of congestion and the resulting costs to the local economy.

Element A (On-street Improvements to UTC Equipment)

Improvements to facilities at key junctions and crossings on the West Yorkshire Key Route Network (KRN).

This includes the implementation of Split Cycle and Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) and Microprocessor Vehicle Actuation (MOVA) and upgrading obsolete equipment.

Last updated in March 2024

Urban Traffic Management Control - Element B1

The new shared, cloud hosted UTC system will enable control and monitoring of traffic signals across all West Yorkshire districts.

Last updated in March 2024

Urban Traffic Management Control - Element B2

The new cloud based integrated UTMC covering Variable Message Signs (VMS), Car Park Guidance systems, Journey Time Information, Pollution Monitoring, CCTV Integration, Fault Reporting

Last updated March 2024

Element C

A new control centre with control room and incident space. This is capable of being used by Bus Operator representatives and as a UTC training hub and includes various upgrades to CCTV systems to increase flexibility.

The new service will provide improved day-to-day management and coordination of traffic signals across our Key Route Network and be available for use by partners e.g. bus operators, emergency services and  National Highways, to improve all travel co-ordination / information.

Last updated March 2024

Project overview

The Wakefield Eastern Relief Road is a newly constructed single carriageway highway between the A638 Doncaster Road to the South and the A642 Aberford Road to the North.

It has opened up substantial job creation by providing direct access into the East Wakefield employment growth area for residents across Wakefield.

The road acts as an alternative route around the city centre and will therefore reduce congestion and increase accessibility. Providing this additional highway capacity will improve conditions for bus services, pedestrians and cyclists and open up further opportunities to provide complementary sustainable transport measures within and to the Lower Kirkgate area. It will also help to accommodate future development traffic in the East of the district.

Last updated February 2024