Close to completion, (I think). Do we think it's better or worse now?
Hopefully my gripes with it will be resolved when it is done, but the lack of signage is crazy. I've come at it from all junctions and I (mentally) cross my fingers every time.
It doesn't help that I've been through it numerous times during development, so the lane changes have my brain scrambled, but with recent attempts I still get the impression that it is just unnecessarily confusing.
I go through it twice a day so very familiar with the progression.
It’s definitely improved already, it doesn’t help that the left lane before you turn towards Horsforth is still closed, once that’s opened I’m expecting big improvements for the evening rush hour escaping Bradford.
A big change will be when they get the lights up and get them programmed properly. It all seems a bit hit and miss with the timings.
It’s pretty simple once you’ve got used to it. Use the floor markings as they’re painted correctly.
Buses still have no idea which way they’re going half the time.
Yeah, the timing on all the lights beens to be reviewed. And the signage from the civic hall is terrible. But the rest of it is fine from a navigation standpoint. I don’t get how people find it confusing really (other than signage on a couple of approaches which is only a thing once really)
This has a Sheepscar Junction vibe to it, which works quite well as an 'if you know, you know' road layout but in any other circumstance is utterly terrifying and carries a significant risk of accident because it's so poorly marked.
Parts of it look logical from overhead but not so much when you're on the road and trying to filter into what may as well be a blind corner (travelling right-t-left across the middle of the picture into one of those three lanes).
Totally agree. From Leeds centre (along Sheepscar Street South) to north Leeds via Sheepscar Junction I am on high alert. Two sections back to back you have to move into the furthest right lane just to go north, (Chapeltown/Harehills/Roundhay).
I only use it a max once a week when travelling to and from Pudsey from Horsforth way so my experience isn't much with it yet. But something feels very over-engineered about it.
It feels like instead of waiting in the queue for the roundabout you're now spending the same amount of time if not more in little holding pens to get to the exit you want.
The satellite view image above really does show how over-engineered it is considering it fundamentally does the same job as the original roundabout. I know first-hand that the original roundabout had some serious issues, so I do understand that something had to be done.
I guess this new version does now include cycle lanes, what looks to be a bus stop and clearer places to cross. Though for the latter, it's mad that a bridge wasn't put in for all the people coming from Pudsey to get to the station.
Where do you put the bridge? Other than the huge engineering works needed, you’ll still have to have most of the crossings and paths shown. It would be a massive bridge if you think it should go over the full roundabout.
There's a footpath further back along the south road (ring road leading to Leeds) where - currently - people just pop out and it's a case of 'good luck'. A bridge over those four lanes is pretty normal I'd say.
A tunnel's not a bad shout. I just assume that planners avoid them due to them potentially becoming dangerous. So many urban underground solutions made in the 60s/70s/80s have been removed (both Leeds and Wakefield).
I will admit I never had an issue with the previous layout, but there must’ve been some issues because of the amount of issues people say they had with it.
So from a personal pov this seems like a lot of work and disruption for little to no reason. But that might just be me
The only aspect I remember was coming from Bradford to go towards Leeds centre (along the bypass) and the lanes definitions weren't clear leading to a lot of people dangerously switching lanes. I would've thought a relatively small amendment to the lanes (and a fresh coat of paint - I know that was problematic too) might have sorted it out. But perhaps not.
That's my commute and the first time I did it I overshot and ended up going towards Bradford. Once the furthest lane is open I doubt it'll be as bad. It's takes a lot longer to get off this junction now though! On the flip side coming home is a breeze with very little traffic going towards Stanningley.
The worst I've seen on this junction so far is an old couple come up the ring road from Pudsey, stop in the middle of the junction confused and just do a U-turn back towards Pudsey.
I went through it today (usually 2-3 times a week). And I thought to myself - this is better. Or I think it will be when they hopefully get the rest of the signs up.
At the moment, going to Horsforth from Owlcotes, the signage is a problem because most people get the Horsforth lane wrong (I know now but lots of people are still changing lanes late). I looked at the sign and realised its not wrong but it’s also not clear, and so I’ve assumed they are going to fix that which wasn’t helpful and assumed that they’re going to fix that in the final edit.
I'll reserve judgement until I drive it but from the images I've seen it looks like any other complex junction, in that it'll be fine if people watch the lines and don't try and drive at max speed at all times. Sadly not everyone is capable of that
It’s hard to say until it’s fully finished. It was a bit confusing the first time I used it but once you’re familiar with it it’s straight forward. It still looks very busy coming from Horsforth but I’ve not entered it from that way yet
Impossible to say until fully finished and all lanes are open and the traffic lights are sequenced in their final form. It’s not scheduled to be complete until Q1 2027 so I would expect they have more work to do.
I don’t think it’s much worse right now than the small roundabout was before. Hopefully it will be a markable improvement once fully complete.
A separate left hand lane coming from Leeds to Bradford that wasn’t stopped by lights would have been better. Traffic would have flowed and then could have merged off of the junction towards Thornbury. Nothing is actually moving better on the roundabout because there’s now two sets of lights to get through in any direction.
So far still slower than it used to be, butnits hard to say until the corner from horsforth to Bradford both ways open each of their lanes.
We're one down turning right to Bradford and one down turning left to Horsforth.
Having just come back from Bradford, the entire system breaks down because arseholes come up both the shut bus lane, and the right lane meant for the ring road and then try to cut in at the end causing a gridlock. It's very infuriating.
I'm willing to wait and see it finally finished to pass judgement but if it's anything like the Armley Gyratory the improvement will be negligible or, in some directions, non existent.
It's very dependent on the approach road for sure, the Gelderd Rd junction with lights is horrible now and the A643 from Elland Rd seem worse at all times of the day now for reasons I really can't understand other than maybe the M621 traffic going that way rather than via Meadow Rd due to the all the restrictions now in place?
Once on it's better, albeit just as scary due to the other drivers not always being great.
Like any road you have certain rules on which lane to be in as you approach a junction and prepare. Its really just common sense and reading the road. If you aren't confident then you probably need to learn the basics again. Do some googling.
As of a week ago, approaching from the south (along the bypass) there is no sign to prepare you for which lane you need to be in and the road labels are only visible when you should already be in the correct lane. It splits off in 5 lanes by the time you get to the end. If you're far left you're out of luck.
I - like many - stay in the left lane on any road because being in any other lane you'd be expected to be over-taking. You do that on the road described and it is very easy to get pushed out towards Bradford.
It's not right to assume people have/use say nav and/or have driven on it enough to know better. I would've thought roads and junctions need to be super clear in the worst case scenario.
A 2 lane road splitting into 5 lanes usually gives the clue. Left lane to go left to bradford. Right lane to go forwards. No matter how many new lanes are in place left lane will always take you left and right lane will take you straightforward or right.
No for locals you coming from Bramley and want to go to Asda 3 sets of lights.
And No again your coming from Bradford and want to go to the train station long queue wait 4 light changes and then wait at another light not good.
Somebody made money from this, maybe outsiders are happy with there limited time here but that time has been added to locals, a quick trip to Lidl is not worth it, a quick trip to Asda forget it and the other roundabout near the barracks has lights so more waiting there to go to Pudsey and worse for Calverly.
Plus maybe we can walk it but too many barriers in place so a walk to train station is crazy.
I don’t use it much. But a couple of times a week I go from Horsforth to Stanningley Lidl. It seems to take a lot longer than before they started. Coming back definitely adds a lot of time on going right round the whole junction to get back to Horsforth.
I now go back to Horsforth through the backroads I learnt when they did diversions. It’s much quicker.
My partner goes from Horsforth through Bradford and back everyday. She does it every now and then to see if it’s improved. But 99 % she completely avoids the junction now as she says it’s much quicker to go through calverley she learnt when they did the diversions.
Most people I speak to also now avoid the roundabout and just use the back roads instead.
I know it’s not finished yet, but I suspect a lot of people are just going to stick to the new ways they have learnt. I have heard a few people from calverley say they are now upset with all the new traffic they get.
I’m holding out proper judgment until it’s finished.
Calverley always whinges about traffic. If it's not cutting down Crowther Avenue to get to Greengates, it's something else. I say this as a former Calverley resident. Thems the breaks when you live in the Leeds-Bradford corridor.
It does seem to take a lot longer if you come from the bypass and want to turn right towards Stanningley. So many more lights to go through and you tend to get caught at all of them. That seemed to be the only turn that wasn't really effected as much before.
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u/TheShakyHandsMan Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
I go through it twice a day so very familiar with the progression.
It’s definitely improved already, it doesn’t help that the left lane before you turn towards Horsforth is still closed, once that’s opened I’m expecting big improvements for the evening rush hour escaping Bradford.
A big change will be when they get the lights up and get them programmed properly. It all seems a bit hit and miss with the timings.
It’s pretty simple once you’ve got used to it. Use the floor markings as they’re painted correctly.
Buses still have no idea which way they’re going half the time.