Major traffic changes approved for busy Leeds roundabout despite safety concerns
Green light for traffic restrictions as part of £13m roundabout overhaul despite criticism
Traffic restrictions will be imposed on a busy roundabout after an objection to the proposals was dismissed by the council.
Speed limits and curbs on waiting and loading are part of Leeds City Council’s £13m Lawnswood Roundabout Improvement Scheme.
Work started last August on the project, designed to improve safety for drivers and cyclists, and was expected to take around 12 months.
The council said there were 25 recorded injuries between 2020-2024 at the site, six of them serious.
A council report said an objection was received to a proposed Traffic Regulation Order for the roundabout, where the ring road meets Otley Road.
The objector said building work had already made the roundabout less safe.
They said: “The temporary infrastructure in place has resulted in a high rate of near misses and road rage incidents.
“A scheme aiming to encourage cycling is doing the opposite.”
Council highways bosses formally over-ruled the objection, saying it related to temporary works at the site and was not relevant to the traffic order.
The wider roundabout improvement project includes traffic signals, along with pedestrian and cycle crossings and a bus lane extension.
Speed limits of 40 and 50mph will be introduced between King Lane and the roundabout.
A council report said the measures were designed to avoid cyclists and pedestrians being blocked by vehicles.
It said: “This will make walking and cycling safer and more attractive.
“The waiting and loading restrictions at the kerbside will also help to protect throughput at the roundabout, helping to minimise congestion in this location and associated impacts on local air quality.”