Leeds City Council’s Connecting Leeds team has announced that there will be daily night-time partial closures around the Armley Gyratory, as well as road works along the Eastbound A647 Stanningley Bypass. These closures and works are part of the ongoing efforts to improve the city’s highways and mark a significant milestone towards the completion of phase one construction.
Starting from 8 pm on Monday, 24 July, until 5:30 am on Thursday, 24 August, the Armley Gyratory will experience partial closures to facilitate the surfacing works. Full diversion routes will be put in place during this period, and local residents will receive notifications about how they will be affected.
The timing of these closures has been planned to coincide with reduced levels of traffic during the school summer holidays. Although the works may cause significant night-time disruption to journeys, the road will reopen during the daytime with a speed limit of 30mph and additional traffic management measures in place to ensure the safety of road users.
To prepare for the partial closures, the council urges Leeds visitors, workers, and residents to plan their journeys in advance. They can access information and updates by visiting the Plan Ahead Leeds website (www.leeds.gov.uk/planahead) or signing up for regular email notifications or following Connecting Leeds on social media. Furthermore, targeted communications and highway signage will be deployed in the affected areas to provide relevant information to motorists.
The Armley Gyratory works are extensive, with the project divided into seven segments progressing clockwise around the gyratory. In total, there will be 19 phases of activity, involving various tasks such as planning the existing carriageway, ironworks, laying binder, tarmac surfacing, and white lining. Due to the scale and complexity of the surfacing works, different diversions and local access plans will be implemented on different days and in various work areas.
Detailed information regarding the impact on local bus services and specific work schedules will be communicated to the public in the weeks leading up to the works.
Additionally, works are scheduled for the Stanningley Bypass during the school summer holidays. Commencing from 8 am on Thursday, 27 July, until 6 am on Monday, 21 August 2023, road works will take place along the Eastbound A647 Stanningley Bypass. To ensure efficiency and the safety of road users, partial closures of the bypass and certain access/slip roads will be implemented, accompanied by local diversions. A contraflow system will be in operation between Dawson’s Corner roundabout and Swinnow Bridge during this period.
The Stanningley Bypass works form part of Leeds City Council’s annual maintenance program for highways. These efforts will complement the successful Westbound joint and resurfacing program completed in 2022. The council is also aiming to minimise future disruptions by facilitating the maintenance of other services, such as street lighting, where it is deemed safe and feasible within the ongoing traffic management setup.
Councillor Helen Hayden, executive member for sustainable development and infrastructure at Leeds City Council, expressed her gratitude for the patience of road users in advance of the disruptions. She emphasised that the Armley works are progressing well and are on track to complete phase one by winter 2023/24.
Acknowledging the importance of Armley Gyratory as a major route used by thousands of people daily, Councillor Hayden highlighted the need for careful planning in implementing partial closures. By conducting the repair works during the school summer holidays and predominantly at night, the council hopes to minimise disruptions considering the expected lower traffic levels.
Councillor Hayden urged motorists to plan their journeys in advance, follow the signed diversions, and allocate extra travel time. The council will be contacting local residents to provide them with information regarding the impact of the works. Detailed diversion routes for each phase of activity will be made available on the official Plan Ahead Leeds website (www.leeds.gov.uk/planahead).
The council, in collaboration with contractors, is working diligently to complete the improvements as swiftly as possible. Despite extensive planning efforts to mitigate disruptions, some delays may still occur. The council appreciates the cooperation and patience of the public throughout this process.
