Plan ahead: Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass improvements enter next phase

Over four weeks starting on Saturday 26 July 2025, road repairs and resurfacing works will take place on the Stanningley Bypass, as part of the £44.179m Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass improvement scheme.

Road users are now being urged to prepare to plan ahead, as traffic management (contraflow where vehicles are directed to travel in the opposite direction to the normal flow of traffic) works begin later this month to make improvements to the A647/A6120 Dawsons Corner junction, with repairs and resurfacing works on the Stanningley Bypass.

The work has been planned to coincide with the reduced levels of traffic over the school summer holidays, allowing for these works to progress as quickly as possible with some significant disruption expected to journeys over the coming weeks.

Traffic management will be in place 24/7 along with 30mph speed limits to help complete this work efficiently and for the safety of all road users. During the set up and switch around of the traffic management, there will be partial closures of the bypass and some of the access/slip roads will have local diversions.  Access to Pudsey train station will be maintained at all times.

The road traffic management system will safely allow repairs and surfacing works to take place, starting northbound from 8pm Saturday 26 July until 9 August and then southbound from 5am Sunday 10 August, until Sunday 24 August.

The Owlcotes Shopping Centre slip road will be closed to facilitate changes to the traffic management on the following dates:

• Saturday 26 July 8pm-5am
• Saturday 9 August 8pm-5am
• Saturday 23 August 8pm-5am
• Sunday 24 August 8pm-5am (contingency date)

Over the previous three summer holiday periods the council has carried out Stanningley Bypass joint and resurfacing repairs work, as part of the highway’s annual maintenance programme. The road works involve the repair of over 140 structures on Stanningley Bypass and associated resurfacing works.

These changes to the junction when complete will reduce congestion and delays, helping to support economic growth across Leeds and Bradford, as well as improve air quality. Improvements will see better traffic flow, with bus journey times reduced and safer crossing facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

“The team are working hard to minimise disruption by planning, co-ordinating and sequencing large highways schemes across Leeds. They need careful planning with other works, not always in our control and events across our busy city. We have done lots of work to try and minimise the disruption these works will create, but what ever the amount of planning there may be some delays.

“Starting from 26 July, to coincide with four weeks of the school summer holidays, please plan ahead when travelling between Bradford and Leeds (A647) or using the (A6120) outer ring road through Dawsons Corner. You will need to allow extra time for your journeys, be patient and follow the signed road diversions in place. For more information, please see the Dawsons Corner project website https://dawsonscorner.commonplace.is/.

“We thank everyone for their ongoing patience while we continue to work hard to minimise the disruption over the summer and thank those who have already changed the way they travel into and around the city centre.”