Thousands of motorists use the Leeds Inner Ring Road everyday to get across the city. Yet few will be aware of the untold story of how the project was hindered by delays, controversy and everything in between. It was devised in the 1950s, started in 1964 and yet only completed in the 2000s. Today we use photos from the YEP archive to bring that story to life. READ MORE: York Road in 29 photos - A snapshot of life on this busy east Leeds route through the years
13. Leeds inner ring road
A view - from Buslingthorpe Lane - of St. Clement's Church at Sheepscar with debris from the Leeds Inner Ring Road workings in the foreground. Pictured in August 1969. | YPN Photo: YPN
14. Leeds inner ring road
Work on stage two - then the biggest civic engineering project to take place in the city - was soon underway, extending the route from the Claypit Lane area through to York Road, crossing the Eastgate-Regent Street by flyover. | YPN Photo: YPN
15. Leeds inner ring road
It opened ahead of schedule and the reason given for the early completion was "because the construction programming has been done by computer." Pictured in May 1970. | YPN Photo: YPN
16. Leeds inner ring road
Stage three running south from Westgate roundabout and including a flyover near the old YEP HQ on Wellington Street and a widened Wellington Bridge started in the early 1970s. | YPN Photo: YPN
17. Leeds inner ring road
The third stage of the Inner Ring Road opened on November 7, 1974. The first person onto the flyover was Terence Muddiman and traffic warden Charles Wheatley directed the first cars across. | YPN Photo: YPN
18. August 1974
There was a slight blip when it was realised someone had forgotten to remove the red and white bunting from across the road and Mr Muddiman had a short wait in his Toyota van while the flags were taken down. | jpimedia