Major improvement scheme at Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass planned to start this month

In February 2025, the Department for Transport gave the green light for £35.709 million funding to enable the council to deliver essential maintenance work, improving safety and reliability for people and businesses using Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass.

This forms part of a £44.179m total package with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority funding of £8.470m.

Dawsons Corner connects the A647 Stanningley Road and the A6120 Ring Road, two of the most important routes in the city. Around 57,000 vehicles and 1,200 pedestrians and cyclists use Dawsons Corner every day. The scheme forms part of the Connecting Leeds strategy to maintain and improve Leeds’ Inner and Outer Ring Roads.

Road users are now being urged to prepare as significant enabling work begins this month to make improvements to the A647/A6120 Dawsons Corner junction and complete joint replacement and resurfacing works on the Stanningley Bypass.

Works involve substantial enlargement and realignment of the junction ahead of construction.

The council work hard to prioritise, plan and co-ordinate complex schemes to ensure as least disruption as possible across our busy city. To help minimize disruption, part of the works are planned during the school summer holidays to take advantage of reduced traffic levels.

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 will:
• Improve safety for people walking, wheeling, and cycling
• Improve connectivity in key areas by providing pedestrian and cycling facilities at the Dawsons Corner junction linking in with the Leeds Bradford Cycle Superhighway
• Make bus journeys more reliable with improved bus facilities and 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
• Improve connectivity between Leeds and Bradford, supporting economic growth, and improved access to jobs, education, healthcare, and leisure opportunities
• Enhanced landscaping and planting features

The council’s appointed contractor John Sisk are set to construct the scheme, which is scheduled to take up to 18 months to complete.

Find out more
Attend a drop-in event, see the plans and chat to a member of the team:
• Thursday 15 May between 11am-7pm at Pudsey Civic Hall, Dawsons Corner, LS28 5TA

Sign up to project updates and find out more by visiting this link.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:
“I am delighted to see works are set to commence this month - the need to improve the 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."

“On Thursday 15 May 11am-7pm the council will hold a drop-in event at Pudsey Civic Hall, with your chance to view the plans and speak with the project team. We will keep residents regularly updated as the works progress and have set up a website https://dawsonscorner.commonplace.is/ with information about the project, along with plans and timescales. Local residents and businesses have been sent a letter to help them learn more about how the construction will impact them.”

Sisk’s regional director Robin Metcalf said: “We’re delighted to be starting work on this important project and proud to be continuing our strong relationship with Leeds City Council. We’ve made commitments not only to deliver the scheme in a way that causes as little disruption as possible, but also to support the local economy by offering employment opportunities and using local businesses wherever we can. Our local teams will be on hand throughout the works to help keep things running smoothly and to work closely with the public as the project progresses.”