About the project and previous consultations

Armley Gyratory highways improvements

Consultation to date

Two rounds of public consultation, in 2018 and 2019, have helped us understand how people use the gyratory and the issues they face, helping develop the details of our design.

Our initial consultation showed that local people were particularly concerned about several key issues.

• Poor safety, including concerns about drivers rushing to avoid red lights, the lack of a signal-controlled junction on the entrance from Wellington Road, poor sightlines, road surfacing and road markings.
• The lack of attractive and accessible pedestrian and cycle routes, meaning people are less likely to travel through the area by foot or bike.
• Poor air quality, relating to idling cars and large volumes of traffic.
• Congestion, particularly on A58 Wellington Road North and A643 Ingram Road Distributor, causing delays to journeys.

We then consulted on a proposed design for the gyratory, which aimed to address the concerns above. We collected feedback on how satisfied people were with some of the key design aspects.

Preliminary consultation feedback on elements of the design

Although our design has changed, we took feedback on board and aimed to retain and enhance some of the key features that were most supported in previous consultation, including new landscaping, new and improved traffic lights, and improvements to pedestrian and cycle routes and crossings. We also responded to feedback by including improvements to safety, increasing traffic flows and upgraded and enhanced connections to pedestrian and cycling links in the new design.

This means that the key benefits delivered by the new design still meet the scheme’s core aims but for less money.

Key benefits about the scheme

The proposed improvements will mean that:

1. The junction is safer and easier to travel across, boosting connectivity and accessibility.

2. We capitalise on opportunities to enhance biodiversity through planting and landscaping, as well as establishing green pedestrian links to neighbouring residential areas.

3. Active travel is encouraged through improved pedestrian and cycling routes.

4. Other improvements to Leeds city centre are enabled, helping to achieve the council’s vision of a more connected city with more appealing and liveable public spaces.

In addition, the proposed drainage system will look to address the issues of flooding at A58 Wellington Road North under the railway bridge.

Design

The key features of our design that respond to themes that arose from previous public consultation are set out below:

A new signal-controlled junction on the entrance from Wellington Road and a signal-controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing across Wellington Road. Public consultation reiterated the importance of this improvement, given that this junction is the only approach to the gyratory that is currently a give-way. This means that it will be easier and safer for motorists to enter the gyratory from Wellington Road, providing opportunities for safer travel routes across Wellington Road for pedestrians and cyclists.

Existing pedestrian routes will be upgraded to modern standards and made safer, more pleasant and more accessible with new landscaping and footpath widening.

New landscaping will provide enhanced visibility between road users and improve the personal security of pedestrians and cyclists.

Cycle routes will be introduced and connected to existing routes at the junction, making it easier and safer to travel by bicycle.

The existing footbridge over the A643 will be replaced with a dedicated, accessible pedestrian and cycle bridge.

The existing footbridge over the A58 will be replaced with a dedicated, accessible pedestrian and cycle bridge.

To discourage people from running red lights, the timings of the traffic lights will be changed. New traffic lights will also be added at the junction with Gelderd Road to better manage the flow of traffic.

Works on the privately-owned central island have been minimised so all existing features will be retained as part of the scheme.

City Centre Package and Connecting Leeds

The Armley Gyratory improvements, are part of the City Centre Package, being delivered by Leeds City Council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The Combined Authority works with local councils and businesses to ensure that everyone in our region benefits from a strong economy and a modern, accessible transport network.

The £40.5 million Armley scheme is funded by West Yorkshire- plus Transport Fund City Centre Package and was approved in January 2022.

Connecting Leeds is Leeds City Council’s transport response to improve travel for those who live, work in, and visit the city. We have an ambitious vision for Leeds: to create a world-class city that allows for seamless travel not just within Leeds, but regionally, nationally, and internationally.

The Connecting Leeds transport strategy has been developed to transform transport networks throughout Leeds, setting out the council’s vision for a city where you don’t need a car, where everyone has an affordable zero carbon choice in how they travel.

You can find out more about the strategy here.

Armley Gyratory improvement scheme

Improvements to Armley Gyratory will help to achieve the Connecting Leeds vision by making better use of road space to increase highways capacity. This enables vehicles to be diverted away from City Square onto the inner ring road and M621. Also changes to off highways in and around the roundabout will improve access, pedestrian and cycle routes to promote more active forms of travel.

The works will enable the transformation of the public space in City Square in preparation for Leeds City of Culture 2023.

It will also enable other transformational schemes over the next ten years, helping create better public spaces in the city centre. These schemes include the Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan, City Square, the Headrow, Infirmary Street, Meadow Lane and Southbank.

Background

Armley Gyratory is a busy roundabout controlled by traffic lights to the west of Leeds city centre. It is a key junction on the A58 (M) Inner Ring Road and a major entry/exit point for traffic travelling through and into the city.

Queuing traffic builds up quickly at busy times of the day, resulting in delays for motorists and bus users. This congestion contributes towards poor air quality and has a negative impact on local residents and businesses.

The current pedestrian and cycle facilities at the junction are substandard and inaccessible to some users. As a result, people from surrounding communities are unlikely to make journeys on foot or by bike into the city centre. When they do, some use a variety of informal routes around the junction.

Due to the current challenges at the junction, Connecting Leeds and WYCA are working in partnership to improve Armley Gyratory.

The improvements aim to:

• provide pedestrians and cyclists with more appealing and accessible routes around the gyratory;

• increase safety for all road users;

• improve the operation of the junction, allowing traffic to flow more freely, which will minimise traffic impacts on local roads

• improve the local environment through new landscaping; and

• facilitate improvements elsewhere in the city, including at City Square, by creating capacity for traffic displaced from those locations.