Frustration as gasworks lead to traffic chaos in Kirkstall

Fresh roadworks on Wyther Lane led to traffic chaos in Kirkstall and Bramley today – but highways engineers claim to have a plan to prevent further problems.

Busy Wyther Lane only reopened in December after being closed for more than five months due to repair and improvement works. It closed again today for work on vital gas mains, which will last for eight days until Friday, 28 January.

The fresh roadworks caused lengthy delays and traffic congestion – with one woman taking 48 minutes to drive from Morrisons car park to the traffic lights on Kirkstall Road junction.

In an e-mail to local councillors this afternoon, a council highways officer admitted there had been ‘a number of issues on the site today that led to some significant congestion’. The council worker said:

“This has had an impact on Kirkstall Road, so the decision has been made to implement an urgent closure of Broad Lane/Wyther Lane at the junction with Leeds Bradford Road and Kirkstall Bridge.

“This will allow the lights to be reconfigured over the bridge and simplify the set up. This should allow traffic to flow more freely.

“Hopefully we should start to see the current queues on Kirkstall Road dissipate as a result of the traffic manage changes on the site ASAP.”

Angry drivers had taken to social media to vent their frustration.

#Kirkstall comes to a grinding halt due to more works after a previous 4 month closure #leeds cc @WLDispatch @LeedsNews @leedslivenews pic.twitter.com/ubhfbKyTDa

— Stuart Long Esq. (@StuartLong01) January 20, 2022

One woman said:

“It is total havoc. This afternoon it took me 48 minutes to drive from Morrisons (Kirkstall) car park to the traffic lights on Kirkstall Road junction, as all the traffic lights are out of sync and the traffic was at a virtual standstill (and quite a number of agitated drivers).

“There was more air pollution being created within that square quarter mile at Kirkstall than possibly the factories of Taiwan!”

Another added:

“45 minutes from Boots at Kirkstall to bottom of Broad Lane at 12pm today. Yes, I was one of those agitated drivers, it’s a total nightmare.”

Wyther Lane was first shut in June last year to allow important repair work and new traffic lights to be installed on the historic bridge at Amen Corner. The work followed an accident at the bridge last March.