Armley Gyratory: 17.5-mile diversion and everything you need to know as Leeds junction set for full closure

Work will get underway on Saturday night to install the new Wellington Road footbridge over the Armley Gyratory.

It will be the third of three footbridges completed around the key route. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the closure...

How long will the route be shut?

Motorists are advised that there will be a full Gyratory closure starting from 8pm Saturday, February 8 until 5.30am Monday, February 10.

From 6am to 9am on Sunday, February 9 there will be further closures on Canal Street and Wellington Road to allow for vehicle movement.

What work is taking place?

The new Wellington Road footbridge, which weighs approximately 60-tonnes and will be installed using two cranes and a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT), is set to installed over the A58.

Following the old Wellington Road footbridge demolition in July 2024, the construction work is due to complete by early spring 2025, which will enable all three footbridges to be open to the public - promising wider and more accessible footways.

Preparatory work to install new bridge column supports already took place overnight across (Monday, January 27) and (Monday, February 3).

What diversions will be in place?

All lanes of Wellington Road (A58) inbound and outbound will be closed with a full 17.5-mile mapped diversion (taking into account HGV traffic) in place.

There will also be a full closure of the carriageway between the Armley Gyratory northbound to Armley Road junction and from Wellington Street slip road southbound to Armley Gyratory.

Will Leeds United fans be impacted?

Leeds City Council has worked with both West Yorkshire Police and Leeds United to ensure upcoming fixtures will not be impacted and disruption minimised for the travelling public.

Bus services 4, 4F, 15, 16, 16A, 42, 72, 86, 508, X6 and X11 could experience heavy delays later on Saturday evening.

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What has Leeds Council said regarding the closure?

Coun Jonathan Pryor: “I am pleased to see that the third and final Wellington Road footbridge is to be completed around the Armley Gyratory. These new bridges are transformative changes to the overhead footways for people walking and wheeling – making it easier to get across the gyratory, either going or away from the city centre.

“The works are also a bridge engineering challenge, as well as programme challenge to carry out, with the least disruption as possible. The team have worked hard to minimise disruption by planning, co-ordinating and sequencing large highways schemes across Leeds. We thank everyone for their ongoing patience.”