West Leeds: Cycle Superhighway section opens tomorrow

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It’s official – the stretch of the £29 million cycle superhighway which runs through the heart of West Leeds will be open to use tomorrow.

The CityConnect superhighway, designed to encourage nore people to take up cycling, is a segregated cycle route between Leeds and Bradford, running from Leeds city centre along the A647 to the new Broadway shopping centre in the heart of Bradford.

Work began on the scheme in January 2015 and had originally been due to be finished by the end of last year.

The opening date was then pushed back to ‘spring’ this year. A revised opening date of last week was pushed back further due to rain delaying the laying of green surfacing on roads.


A spokesperson said:

“In the coming months and years Leeds and Bradford will see increased levels of walking and cycling. This will give the region best opportunity to become less polluted, have a healthier population, create a safer urban environment and improve the potential for economic growth through access to employment and training.”

Stanningley Town Street
Cycle superhighway work in Stanningley earlier this year. Photo: Lilly Marchesi

Work continues

Work on road markings is still continuing on the cycle superhighway, with road closures on Stanningley Town Street due today and next Sunday. The Dispatch has this week been told that there will be an additional road closure on July 10.

Diversionary routes for vehicles affected by the road closures will be available via:

  • For eastbound traffic – Swinnow Lane; Swinnow Road; Lowtown; Lidget Hill and Richardshaw Lane; and for HGVs – Town End roundabout; Stanningley bypass to Dawson’s Corner.
  • For westbound traffic – Start at Dawson Corner; Stanningley Bypass and the slip road for Swinnow Lane; and for HGVs – Dawson Corner; Stanningley bypass and Town End slip road

Bike bus

Events lined up includes the start of a bike bus on Tuesday, which includes pickup and stopping points in Armley, Bramley and Stanningley. The Dispatch reported on the bike bus details here.

Construction of the cycle superhighway has affected local businesses and there have been concerns about communication during the project.

It’s unclear when the delayed cycle superhighway stretch running from Leeds City Centre to Seacroft is due to open. Information on the CityConnect website states it’s due ‘for completion later this year’.

There’s no news yet on an official opening ceremony for the project.

You can also check out this thoughtful 25-minute film on the cycle superhighway and cycling in Leeds via The City Talking.



2 COMMENTS

  1. Biggest waste of money and use of road space I’ve ever seen. A danger to both motorists and cyclists in places and I’ll be shocked if more than ten people a day use the whole lot

  2. Absolutely hate this cycle lane. I have to drive to work through stanningley bottom every morning and I thank my lucky stars every day that I haven’t hit anything yet. The hazards on this road are incredulous. The roads have been narrowed so much that when there is heavy traffic on there and cyclists as well it is extremely difficult to process everything going on around you. Add to that pedestrians and it starts to get very scary. Surely, there has to be concerns around the safety of cyclists and pedestrians on this road. It beggars belief this was allowed to go ahead.

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