Anyone know when this link from Cross Green to the M1 is due to the built? Needs to be done asap IMO to open up the vast area of vacant industrial land in the SE of the city. In terms of creating business/jobs I think it’s more important than the Supertram.

Do you mean the A63 East Leeds Link Road to J45?

If so:
Cost: £25m
Duration: 4 Years
Length: 8 KM

Work could begin this Autumn (aka any time now) was the last news, from February after securing minor property and financing problems (which were very small). The road should be open by 2009- signposts have already been erected at J45.

M1/M62 in Leeds also have widening plans, and the inner ring road has completion plans. A rumored East Leeds Orbital Route (spurring off the SE Orbital (M1) to the A58) seems to be a while away if plans do exist...

Hi

I can confirm that Leeds Inner Ring Road is well and truely under construction. One major compound which is expanding is the area just to the rear of Hunslet Motor Auctions.

I dare say that major construction work should begin before Christmas.

Cheers

Tony Mac
Leeds Construction Link (http://www.leedsconstructionlink.co.uk)

get in!

Are they calling it the A63? Surely not as there is already an A63 that runs to Selby.

Anyway that's the road I was on about.

As for that East Leeds Obrital route or Crossgates/Seacroft bypass, the latter doesn't sound as good does it!, plans for that were originally drawn up 15 years ago but were shelved. There was a LOT of opposition from local people at the time. If the plans have been resurrected I would be suprised.

Anything that bypasses Seacroft is A GoodThing(tm)

A map on the Thorpe Park Website suggests an East Leeds Orbital Route...

Suggesting and building are very different things as you will be aware!

That map map on Thorpe Parks website is not wholly accurate, the road would continue past the A58 to join the outer ring road just north of Roundhay Park.

I've hijacked this from another site:

Looking at the UDP in closer detail, there appears to be a post-2011 housing proposal known as "Phase 2 Eastern Edge" which is roughly in the same area. The area is 215ha, extending from the edge of Manston, to the west of the A58 at Wetherby Rd, and include Grimes Dyke (Supertram terminus?) and Red Hall. It would include housing, employment, green space and ancillary uses.

Leeds City Council will

1) prepare a development framework for the site

2) assess the need for an orbital relief road, hopefully funded by the development

3) provide appropriate highway infrastructure incorporating public transport (supertram/busway)

etc.

I believe the road assessment (number 2) was done October 2003, by their consultants Pell Frischmann.

I quote from the UDP:

"New highway infrastructure will be required at an appropriate level based upon an assessment of the need for an orbital relief road which would not only serve the development but offer an alternative to the A6120 Ring Road and could relieve the main built up area from congestion. The costs involved with a new orbital relief road will be borne by the developer."

So any developer of the land cited above would have to be pay for the new road!

Are they calling it the A63? Surely not as there is already an A63 that runs to Selby.


Diverting an existing "road" is nothing new - the A50 used to run from Leicester to Coalville, it's now the bypass to the south of Derby...

This wouldn't be a diversion, though. If you look at a map of Leeds it would make absolutley no sense to call this new road the A63 as it does not join or go near the existing A63 which is an existing major trunk road.

Hi

I can confirm that Leeds Inner Ring Road is well and truely under construction. One major compound which is expanding is the area just to the rear of Hunslet Motor Auctions.

I dare say that major construction work should begin before Christmas.

Cheers

Tony Mac
Leeds Construction Link (http://www.leedsconstructionlink.co.uk)

That's going to have a long raised viaduct portion around the South Accomodation Road area (I think) and link to the M621, should be a really useful new link directly into central Leeds, and should open up some new views of central Leeds.

Tonights YEP:



We've got it! Cash is secured for link road
£32m scheme will generate 30,000 jobs
By DAVID MARSH and PAUL ROBINSON
CHRISTMAS came early to Leeds today when the city was handed a £5.3m present which will trigger one of the North's biggest regeneration schemes and create up to 30,000 new jobs.
After a five-year wait Government ministers finally gave the city the cash needed to build the East Leeds Link Road, which will open up huge tracts of derelict land in the lower Aire Valley for commercial and industrial development.
The new route promises to bring jobs to the doorstep of some of the city's most deprived communities including Hunslet, Halton Moor, Richmond Hill and East End Park.
And today a delighted Coun Andrew Carter, council leader, said: "At last, we've got it. This road is terribly important to the city's economic future and the Government's decision is wonderful news."
The road will run from junction 45 of the M1 – built but not yet in use – through Cross Green and join the Inner Ring Road at South Accommodation Road.
Leeds desperately needs large sites for factories, offices and warehouses and the developments carried out following the construction of the link road will help drive forward the city's economy for the next 20 years.
Delays
The road scheme was approved five years ago but it has been delayed amid financial wrangling and a series of technical issues raised by the Department for Transport.
The Government originally agreed to contribute £9.5m to the £32m project but the costs rose and Leeds needed an extra £5m from Whitehall.
There was concern last week when a transport funding announcement made by the Government made no mention of the link road.
Hilary Benn MP (Lab, Leeds Central) and the council lobbied ministers and today the Government confirmed it was increasing its contribution to £14.8m.
Work on the road is now expected to start next year.
Coun Carter, who recently joined Michael Howard on one of his last official jobs as Tory leader in visiting the site of the proposed new route, said: "We were very concerned that we might be losing this scheme which would have been devastating for Leeds.
"We lobbied hard and can now look forward to a regeneration scheme which is of crucial importance to the whole region."
Mr Benn said: "I am delighted with the Department for Transport's announcement. It's a great Christmas present for Leeds.
"The road will be a catalyst for a regeneration project which is of vital importance to the city's economic growth. "
Leeds Chamber of Commerce policy director Ian Williams "wholeheartedly welcomed" the funding decision.
He told the YEP: "It's long overdue – now let's get on with building the road."
Today's news follows a series of setbacks which had led some to claim that Leeds was getting a raw deal on transport.
The city's £500m Supertram scheme was axed last month, while plans for high-speed bus lanes on the A65 Kirkstall Road have also failed to win financial backing from the Government.
Boom
Experts have warned that increasing traffic congestion could slam the brakes on Leeds's recent economic boom.
Martin Bowers, chairman of Gipton ALO (Ambertons, Lawrences and Oak Tree Drive) Tenants' and Residents' Association, welcomed the plans.
He said: "If it turns out, as they are saying, people will get behind it, and I don't just mean Gipton people. It could be good for people in places like Seacroft and Halton Moor if they get the transport links they need.
"There has been a lack of investment in a lot of things in east Leeds and transport is one of them.
22 December 2005

Its all good news with this new road getting the go ahead and the final stage of the Inner Ring Road starting next year.

Saw this last night and thought it was excellent news. I guess after the kick in the teeth with the Supertram decision to deny us to extra few million for this road would have been too much.

As well as creating new jobs it should help ease congestion on neighbouring road corridors. Plus it will turn what is a bit of a eyesore into something more attractive to those passing the area on the M1.

From the BBC:

Planning permission has already been granted for a 1.1m sq ft office and hotel development at Skelton Business Park next to the unopened junction 45.

A planning application has also been submitted for a mixed use development on 40 hectares (98 acres) of land at nearby Skelton Moor Farm.

Excellant news indeed, this will really help Leeds no end, and all of Leeds as it will help link up a whole quarter of the city and improve links to the motorway network for everyone. Hopefully, as stated in the Leeds Council anouncement, it should commence next year without further delay.

No1 - I am surprised by you're pleasure at this proposal, I thought your environmental tendencies would mean that you were against this proposal - after all, isn't this the reason that you are against the M6 widening, or do your environmental policies depend on which city would benifit from the new roads?

Well, the M6 widening is something that really has no other purpose other than to relieve congestion. The route is one where I'd rather see the money put into more rail services. The M6 BNRR though I was for. The East Leeds Link Road however has some obvious advantages- a direct link to the M1, some congestion relief but the major advantage is that it will quite literally open up this whole area of the Aire Valley that could create several new districts to the city. This isn't something so much to do with the environment, instead something that makes sense. The road widenings on the motorways around Leeds I'm against though. Schemes which are pureley to relieve congestion where public transport is available I'm against. The M6 toll was to releive congestion but there is no direct public transport from spaghetti junction up to where it meets the M6. But most of the M6 follows the WCML which could be improved. So thats why, makes sense more than anything.

Further, this road will open up a massive brownfield site with the potential to create up to 36,000 new jobs (the neighbouring residential districts are some of the poorest in Leeds so this will undoubtedly be benficial to these residents). It will reduce the need to build major industrial sites on greenfield sites around the city so could be said to beneficial to the environment.

Found some excellant information on the inner ring road completion, which has now been under construction for two-three months.

If you look on the Leeds City Council web site, in the living section, and in the roads and transport section, there are .pdf files with a detailed drawing plan, a large arial photo with the road marked on (small version below), and other road closure/detours information.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/pc7b6bd3adea210b8eaabf99d3ef46129/ee339097.jpg

The views from the raised 200m going past Clarence Dock should be excellant.

What a good find :) How exciting!

It sems the East Leeds ring road starts from almost the same point at the end of Sth Accomodation Road, heading east (of course) to join the M1 near Temple Newsam.

More news on the East Leeds link road

Leeds city council has awarded the contract to build the £32m East Leeds Link Road to Birse Civils Ltd.
The project will involve the construction of 3.9 kilometres of dual carriageway, five major junctions including three roundabouts and an environmentally-friendly drainage system. The road is due for completion in 2008.


When the route between the city centre and the M1 is complete it will open up nearly 500 acres in the lower Aire Valley for commercial development.
It is one of the largest engineering projects in the region and is expected to create about 12,000 new jobs.

Coun Andrew Carter, executive councillor for development, said: "This is not just about opening up an area poorly served by existing highways and transport, this is about creating links to the neighbouring communities of Richmond Hill, Osmondthorpe, Halton Moor, Hunslet, Belle Isle and Middleton and providing them with transport and training opportunities to benefit from the thousands of jobs that are expected to be created in the Aire Valley over the next 15 years.
"The awarding of the contract to Birse is a major step forward. The company's skills and expertise are crucial to delivering this road and bringing to fruition the planning and design which has gone into this scheme."
To allow work on the road to take place, a section of Pontefract Lane, from Thornes Farm Approach to the M1 at Junction 45, will be closed from October 30.

Looks like a Start for the end of October. its going to be a huge regeneration for Leeds

We already have major business parks at J44 and J46 attracting some big firms to locate regional offices/HQs - must be yet another planned for J45?...

the east Leeds radial road is to start on Thursday

That was yesterday :)

Oh right silly me

Can't remember if there is a thread for the inner ring road (phase 7) but as it joins with East Leeds radial road, this one should cover both.

Latest photos of progress with the flyover -

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p6f71f8c67de1ab253f2e242ac0d2fc79/ea319fff.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pe085ed53d602ffe65e28aa4ac9e01094/ea319ff5.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pbd935dfe780c9c5d9eed2c74c4b6ac14/ea319ffb.jpg

They're making amazing progress with this now, after what seems like eons of preparatory work.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... the good new residents of East Street won't know what hit them when this AND the East Leeds link road both open in 2008... it's really gonna change the dynamic of traffic in the city centre.

Interestingly - this map (http://www.leeds.gov.uk/moderngov/Published/C00000450/M00001153/AI00006243/CityCentreStudyAreasv2.pdf) of the city centre superimposes both the IRR7 and the East Leeds Link schemes - showing how they both converge next to Low Fold area...

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/images/2006/week26/39fae3d2-fd30-463a-82b2-a76fb468f065_961c5a56-3376-4dd0-aded-c86feb60df63.jpg http://www.leeds.gov.uk/images/2006/week26/39fae3d2-fd30-463a-82b2-a76fb468f065_ff5fab98-5338-4a59-8752-ea4d8b2e9adc.jpg

Here's the official drawing link - http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/2006/week26/inter__39fae3d2-fd30-463a-82b2-a76fb468f065_f2a2cbf7-88a5-488c-8cb4-180e50f2aaae.pdf

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... the good new residents of East Street won't know what hit them when this AND the East Leeds link road both open in 2008... it's really gonna change the dynamic of traffic in the city centre.



Will this be for better or worse? I don't live out East so never use the transport links in that part of town - However, when I walk down that way to check up on building progress beyond the Gateway I'm always struck by how windswept/roady the whole area is.

Although I don't really think that the City Council really understand what the impact will be, the idea is that a significant amount of traffic approaching the city from the South will come off the motorway on the IRR7 route, and end up being fed down East Street towards the A64 (behind Quarry House and then either east or west towards A660 and Armley Gyratory) or the A61 / Loop Road (the big juntion that The Gateway sits in). This is supposed to relive traffic pressure from the juntions and network down by Bridgewater Place / ASDA / Tetley Brewery area - mainly creating highway capacity for the new development going down there. There's some interesting proposals for secondary loop road down here and Holbeck set out in the draft AAP (see separate thread) - which indicate I suppose that LCC is now starting to thing what to do post 2008.

Here's LCC's basic take on it:
The scheme assists in removing remaining through traffic from Leeds central area, and with the M621, provides a continuous circulatory route around the city centre. The scheme is expected to improve travel times across the city and relieve congestion in Hunslet and Holbeck as well as the city centre. The scheme will also improve access to the Aire Valley Leeds regeneration area when the East Leeds Link Road is completed, also planned for 2008.

Approaching Leeds from the east will also become a sinch when the East Leeds Link Road opens from the (currently closed, but in-waiting Juntion 45 on the M1) and again this will all feed down East Street in the same way.

This in part explains why East Street seems so 'over-engineered' for the amount of traffic is currently handles. It's basically designed for a heck of a lot more... It'll be astounding how quickly you will get off the M621 to The Gateway - that big flyover flies over loads of Hunslet, and is more or less grade separated all the way from the motorway until it gets to the Low Fold area at the far end of East Street.

Full maps and plans of both schemes on their respective City Council websites:

Inner Ring Road Stage VII (http://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pageID=39fae3d2-fd30-463a-82b2-a76fb468f065) (check out the links on the right to maps, plans and photos)
East Leeds Link Road (http://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pageID=5b0ab9e6-fc13-4dd9-8236-83bd8b78bab7) (ditto)

Interestingly - the 'relief' around Great Wilson Street, Meadow Lane, Victoria Road, Crown Point Road might be enough to allow some rationalisation and reclaiming of roadspace for other uses as part of redevelopment down here - if only the highway engineers can be persuaded. Would be nice if the traffic levels under the dark arches (and hence through City Sqaure) relived too, which is the idea, but all at the expense of poor old East Street!

I think that about sums it up :nuts: but it's not easy to summarise!

This in part explains why East Street seems so 'over-engineered' for the amount of traffic is currently handles. It's basically designed for a heck of a lot more...


I think that about sums it up :nuts: but it's not easy to summarise!

Thats great cheers - You summed it up perfectly with your 'over engineered' comment, thats exactly what I think when I go there, but I never knew why.
If more traffic is going to pour down there, will it make life a misery for people who will be living around there when the flats go up? Hmm.

Thats great cheers - You summed it up perfectly with your 'over engineered' comment, thats exactly what I think when I go there, but I never knew why.
If more traffic is going to pour down there, will it make life a misery for people who will be living around there when the flats go up? Hmm.

It will make Gateway an even busier roundabout !

Taken this afternoon

Consruction work on the Inner Ring Road near Richmond Bridge:-

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q281/nosmo2/CIMG1959.jpg

The flyover is progressing, the massive steel beams of the elevated section are not far off finishing now, and the on/off ramps are progressing as well as the base of the rest of the road. It is projected to open in December 2008, I assume that is still on schedule looking at the progress so far.

I'm looking forward to driving over it to see what kind of view it gives, and it will make an impressive alternative entrance into the city from the M621.

We'll have to try to get some updated photos, as the council website progress photos are still from March.

Where abouts is this being built? Is it near the city centre? are there any route maps?

Yes, there are some on the website. http://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pageID=39fae3d2-fd30-463a-82b2-a76fb468f065

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1240/irr7rr1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^ Cheers, it goes quite close to the city then, should be good views, especially if it's raised.

Yes definitely, especially of Clarence Dock and that area. Will be a good gateway, bringing people into the city through the developing East Bank area. Should also enourage development in this area.

The new part of the road doesn't go all the way to the A64, it follows South Accomodation Road across the river and feeds into East Street, so will take you past the newly developed land with 'Aire', 'Lowfield', 'Echo' and straight towards 'Gateway and 'Trinity 1'. At that point you can either turn right up the exisiting multi laned Marsh Lane to the A64, feed into the loop, or turn south back across the river over Crown Point Bridge.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/pc7b6bd3adea210b8eaabf99d3ef46129/ee339097.jpg

Yes sorry I should have made it clear that the actual scheme finishes at South Accomodation Road. The rest of the road has already been upgraded, a while back, and forms the rest of the ring road between the A64 and South Accmodation Road.The main part of the scheme is between the Hunslet Distributor and South Accomodation Road- this is where the flyover is being built. Other parts are just being upgraded (I believe?).

The new road is all the way from Junction 4 of the M621 to the top of South Accomodation Road across the river.

I thought only a small part was new road, like this:

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6630/irr7ags2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Shot at 2007-08-06

I thought only a small part was new road, like this:

I thought the same, the Hunslet Distributor is only being upgraded west of the flyover isn't it?

The route of the IRR is a bit lower than you've marked it on your previous map, it's along Pontefract Lane.

I believe it is all new build from J4. The key on the full size version of this shows the grey as new build road, and the old road layout is shown in outline which follows the same general route but is slightly different and much smaller than the new build road, and all the junctions are new.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/pc7b6bd3adea210b8eaabf99d3ef46129/ee339097.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2007/08/19/latest_features_hunslet_viaduct_feature.shtml

Reach for the sky

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/images/2007/08/19/viaduct_203x152.jpg

a new urban landmark is underway across Hunslet Road as progress continues on the Leeds Inner Ring Road.

The large steel structure - known as the Hunslet Viaduct - is growing apace. And is already a landmark for journeys along the A61.

Stage 7 of the Leeds Inner Ring Road has seen the completion of the structural steelwork on the project.

The viaduct forms part of the £50 million scheme that will see, at the end of 2008, the completed the Inner Ring Road around the centre of Leeds. The 500-metre long viaduct contains 1.8m deep steel beams. Over 2200 tonnes of steelwork have been erected.

There is an explanation for the orange coloured steel that motorists will have noticed has been used on the overpass. The steel beams have been fabricated using weathering steel (containing special alloys) producing a rust ‘patina’ on the surface.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/images/2007/08/19/viaduct2_180x150.jpg

This is the same material that has been used on the Angel of the North.

The advantage is that the steel will not require future painting, meaning long term savings on maintenance. The use of weathering steel reflects the history of Hunslet, once known as ' the workshop of Leeds' with many steel foundries thriving in the area.

Work continues on the bridge with some of the structural steel already hidden by further work.

The viaduct was designed by a team involving Leeds City Council and Mouchel Parkman, and construction is being undertaken by Alfred McAlpine Project Services.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/images/2007/08/19/viaduct1_180x150.jpg

Couple of pictures from the Renaissance Leeds PDF which I thought I would post as they have a couple of more recent pics of the IRR stage 7:

http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/7136/irrstage7pic1jb6.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4585/irrstage7pic2aj9.jpg

Progress really seems to be going ahead with this scheme. Does anyone know when this scheme alongside the A63 East Leeds Link Road will be completed and out of interest how much these schemes have cost? Does anyone have any more up to date pictures of this?

I think its meant to open late 2008? ELLR 2009. Im not entirely sure but I think I heard that somewhere.

I can't remember the cost, but I think both were around the £30m mark, and both required years of battling to obtain funding.

From today's YEP:



Better late ... road will get valley moving

Published Date: 20 January 2009

By DAVID MARSH

A MAJOR new road that could help to create up to 27,000 jobs will open in Leeds next month.

Work is nearing completion on the £32m East Leeds Link Road that will connect the inner ring road and the city centre with junction 45 of the M1.

The route will open up the Aire Valley regeneration area, improving access to hundreds of existing businesses and the surrounding 400 hectares of development land which the council says has the potential to create up to 27,000 jobs over 15 to 20 years.

The road was originally intended to be open before Christmas, but some delay to the construction set back the opening until February. The exact date and time is being finalised by the Highways Agency and Leeds City Council.

Coun Andrew Carter, city council leader, pictured, said: "The road is really taking shape. Although its completion has been slightly delayed during construction, we feel that the end result will be well worth it.

"It will help to improve access to hundreds of existing businesses and provide some relief from traffic congestion to areas of east Leeds.

"In the current challenging economic climate, the opening of this road following shortly after completion of the £50m inner ring road provides a huge boost to the city and to the region."

Is this road not already fully open already? Or have I imagined driving over it?

The city end of the road is open, but isnt yet open all the way to the M1.

When you say its not open all the way to the M1 do you mean you can come of the M1 onto it? I only ask as I have driven along it and mistakenly ended up on the m1!

Or am I getting confused?

It's not the Hunslet Viaduct being talked about here, it's the East Leeds Link Road from Cross Green to the presently closed M1 J45. Currently it's only open from the interchange at Cross Green as far as Thornes Farm Way at the far end of the industrial estate.

When you say its not open all the way to the M1 do you mean you can come of the M1 onto it? I only ask as I have driven along it and mistakenly ended up on the m1!

Or am I getting confused?

Perhaps you are thinking of the new inner ring road extension which opened recently linking to J4 of the M621. The East Leeds road starts at about the same place as the inner ring road extension, so I can understand the confusion.

Is this complete now? Plus are there anymore pictures, we havnt had any since october 2007!

Yes both projects are now complete and open. It's come just at the right time, opening up cheaper land to the east of Central Leeds. With it's unrivalled access to the City, it should help to sustain Leeds' economy through the recession.

it should help to sustain Leeds' economy through the recession.

How?

Two reasons:
-Leeds has been suffering increasing congestion over the last decade. It hasn't been too much of a problem, but now that companies are having to focus on a few cities to cut costs, they'll care more about how accessible the city is (and ultimately leading to office closures in Leeds in favour of cities with better infrastructure). The ELLR/IRR7 provides a fast road link into the city now to help relieve some of the congestion.
-More importantly the ELLR opens up a lot of land to the east. This land is cheaper, out of town land and there are office park developments a long it and the M1. Companies still want to expand (as they always do), but the economy is restricting them. The availability of cheap out of town land with quick access to the city is good news for companies who want to expand during an economic downturn. It will enable those companies to expand at a cheaper cost than they would have been able to before.

The ELLR is crucial to the Aire Valley industrial schemes.