New East Leeds Orbital Route is fully open

Leader of the council, councillor James Lewis and councillor Helen Hayden, executive member for infrastructure and climate officially open the biggest infrastructure project undertaken by Leeds City Council for fifty years, since the completion of the Leeds Inner Ring Road.

This new route will become the new outer ring road in northeast Leeds and is expected to ease congestion in existing residential areas across Cross Gates, Seacroft, Whitkirk and play a key role in the growth plans for the city for years to come.

The scheme provides 7km of dual carriageway and 14km of dedicated cycleways, pedestrian, and equestrian pathways, as well as specially designed access points to improve connectivity to surrounding areas. Arch bridges allow walkers and cyclists to cross over the carriageways and large, wide underpasses allow passage underneath.

The scheme includes a significant amount of green space and parkland. Once the landscaping is completed early next year, over 40,000 new shrubs and trees will have been planted. There will also be extensive areas of wildflowers to encourage biodiversity. The landscaped ponds along the route are already attracting wildlife as well as contributing to a sustainable drainage system.

The completed route provides infrastructure to match growing traffic numbers and future requirements as the East Leeds Extension stretches around the edge of Red Hall, Whinmoor, Swarcliffe and Crossgates.

The extension allows for the development of up to 5,000 new homes and supporting infrastructure and plays a key role in the Council’s ambition to deliver 52,000 new homes across the city by 2028.

The scheme has been delivered ahead of schedule and on-budget, despite the global pandemic and soaring materials costs.

Leeds City Council have worked with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to put in place the East Leeds Orbital Route. Financed through the Combined Authority’s ‘West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund’. The Fund is part of the Leeds City Region Growth Deal, a £1 billion package of government investment through The Combined Authority and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to accelerate growth and create jobs across the Leeds City Region.