A MAJOR roundabout is still not safe after a £3.4 million redesign, according to a councillor.

Contractors have now finished a ten-month overhaul of the Thornbury Barracks roundabout, which sits on the main route between Bradford and Leeds.

But Leeds City Councillor Andrew Carter says crucial road markings are still missing, leaving the junction a potential hazard.

The new-look signalised junction has an unusual layout, and three lanes running through the middle between Bradford and Leeds, and an outer roundabout for those travelling to or from Calverley and Pudsey.

Cllr Carter (Con, Calverley) said he was confident the design would prove a success once drivers got used to it, and was already cutting congestion.

But he said he had grave concerns that there were still signs and road markings missing, meaning drivers were forced to scramble into the right lanes at the last minute.

He said: "There have been a couple of near-scrapes already."

Cllr Carter acknowledged Leeds' highways department was planning to install more signs, but said it should be done as soon as possible.

And he added that by solving the problem of congestion, a new problem had inadvertently been created - speeding drivers.

He spoke of his fears for the safety of children crossing the road to get to the nearby Priesthorpe secondary school, and said he was backing residents who now wanted the 40mph limit on Bradford Road to be cut to 30mph.

He said: "The Council need now to make sure the road markings are made absolutely clear so motorists know what it is they are supposed to be doing and which lane they are supposed to be going in.

"And they need to act on the speed limits, but the junction itself and the design of it will work. It will reduce congestion - but it has to be safe."

Leeds City Council bosses said the contractor still needed to finish installing some signs and road markings.

The design includes improved pedestrian crossings, and executive member for transport Councillor Richard Lewis (Lab) said it would make a "major difference" to safety.

He said: "It has been a lengthy project to carry out so I would like to thank everyone for their patience and would ask for that to continue a little longer while the new road system settles down in the coming weeks."

But the idea of cutting the speed limit on the main road to 30mph was a non-starter, according to Cllr Lewis.

He said: "Lowering the speed limit on such a major dual carriageway would be inappropriate and I’m sure most motorists would agree.

"Reducing the speed limit from 40 to 30 miles an hour would be unnecessarily restricting speed on such a significant route."

The roundabout redesign began last July, after Leeds City Council won funding from the Department for Transport’s Local Pinch Point scheme.