A SENIOR politician in Leeds has slammed the planning of road improvement schemes around the city, claiming he has “lost confidence in the council’s ability to coordinate”.
Work being coordinated by Leeds City Council, is expected to see around £20m of road improvements at Dawsons Corner and the Stanningley Bypass one of the main routes between Bradford and Leeds.
But the roadworks, expected to last well into next year, are beginning to cause traffic congestion on the major Leeds-to-Bradford thoroughfare, leading to criticism from one of the council Labour administration’s biggest opponents.
“Traffic congestion is very bad,” said leader of the Leeds City Council Conservatives group Coun Andrew Carter. “There seems to be a woeful lack of planning on a lot of these highways schemes. Even down to having to cone off the carriageway when grass cutting is carried out.
“Grass cutting in Leeds has been shambolic to say the least. It was left too late on the ring road, some junctions’ visibility was compromised because the grass was so high.
Work to major route between Bradford and Leeds 'will reduce bus journey times'
“This coincides with the interminable Openreach work and gas works – in the days of modern era of swift communication, it staggers me that this stuff can’t be accommodated in a more efficient fashion, you get the impression that some people in authority don’t give a damn.
“It causes pollution and affects the economy, which we can little afford. The lack of planning is quite horrendous – a whole series of delays on the road network Dawson’s corner is a classic example.”
The £20m Dawson’s Corner scheme will reputedly provide a “fully remodelled and enlarged signalised junction”, as well as improved cycling and walking facilities. It is expected to be completed in 2023.
It is hoped that the improvements will eventually reduce peak hour bus delays at the junction, reduce air pollution caused by standing traffic, and to increase capacity at New Pudsey station park and ride site.
Currently the roadworks, which have seen two lanes of the Stanningley Bypass closed, are leading to regular traffic delays.
Coun Carter, however, believes more planning is needed to go into coordinating projects in the west of Leeds, adding: “We seem to lurch from one scheme to another, interminably causing traffic delays on what is already a congested junction which at peak times is over capacity.
“There is going to be a major junction improvement scheme there over the next 18 months. A lot of these things should be rolled up into one and get the congestion over and done with, and not to lurch from one to another.
“You have got the city connect issues, where work is progressing from Armley onwards, then we have got the large capital scheme – the roundabout itself. I have urged them for 18 months to coordinate things in a more efficient manner. Let’s not do works one after the other when we could combine them in one programme.
“Whatever the highways department say, there will be wasted resources and some work will be disrupted because of additional work. I have lost confidence in the council’s ability to properly coordinate.”
Leeds City Council has been contacted for a comment.
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