£35.709 million green light for major A647/A6120 Dawsons Corner \ Stanningley Bypass scheme

Today the Department for Transport has given the green light of £35.709 million funding to enable Leeds City Council to make improvements to the Dawsons Corner junction and complete joint replacement work on the Stanningley Bypass.

This forms part of a £42.679 million total package with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority funding of £6.970m and contribution from the council.

Changes to the junction will reduce congestion and delays, helping to support economic growth across Leeds and Bradford. The reduction in congestion will also lead to a better environment in terms of improved air quality. Improvements are also planned to see better traffic flow, with bus journey times also reduced and improved safer crossing facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

The scheme was granted planning permission in October 2022 and business case was submitted in March 2024 with preparatory ground investigation work underway and the safety critical repair works to Stanningley Bypass have been on-going since May 2021. 

All the third party land required to build the scheme has been purchased. Subject to contractor approvals the main works are planned to start later this year and will take up to 15 months to complete.

The scheme will:-

• Provide pedestrian and cycling facilities at the Dawsons Corner junction linking in with the Leeds Bradford Cycle Superhighway
• Improved bus facilities with dedicated bus lanes on the A647 Bradford Road
• Widen the carriageway on the A6120 Ring Road to improve the junction and accommodate a shared pedestrian / cycle route
• Widen the A647 Stanningley Bypass to accommodate additional traffic lanes
• Replace joints on the A647 Stanningley Bypass to mitigate potential road traffic collisions thereby enabling the current 50mph speed limit to be kept; and
• Provide landscape mitigation for the enlarged site at Dawsons Corner.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “I am delighted with the news that the Department for Transport £35.709 million funding has been granted. The need to improve Dawsons Corner junction has been a major priority for some time. It’s important not only to improve traffic flow and air quality, but also support essential links to future housing growth and developments and for people to be able to access jobs more easily with consistent travel times.

“Alongside the recent junction improvements to Fink Hill, Dyneley Arms, the Armley Gyratory and A6120 routes, together with the M621 National Highways works that remain vital for keeping our city moving and directing traffic away from the city centre.”

The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Road users in Leeds and Bradford have experienced slow speeds on the A647 for too long,  discouraging people from using local buses on the road.

“We’re giving this vital scheme the green light, and providing £35m, which will improve local journeys in Yorkshire and boost the economy beyond.”

Cllr Peter Carlill, Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “It’s great to support this scheme and see it secure further funding to help improve transport so that people can get around more easily.

“This will help us create a greener, better-connected region through improved walking and cycling routes, cleaner air, safer roads, and reduced traffic congestion.”

Katie Day, Deputy Chief Executive at Transport for the North, said: “We welcome this investment which will deliver vital maintenance work, improving safety and reliability for people and businesses using Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass.

“As every journey involves a road at some point, our highways need to be safe, resilient and efficient to enable economic growth.”