More than £44m to be invested in key city highways link

An extensive programme of improvements works is to begin on Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass, Leeds.

In February 2025, the government’s Department for Transport gave the green light for funding worth £35.709m to enable Leeds City Council to deliver these works.

This forms part of a £44.179m total package, with 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.

To help minimise disruption, part of the works are planned during the school summer holidays to take advantage of reduced traffic levels.

Changes to the junction are intended to cut congestion and delays, helping to support economic growth across Leeds and Bradford.

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

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “I am pleased 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.”

Sisk’s regional director, Robin Metcalf, added: “We’re happy 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.”