Armley Gyratory: Major Leeds junction to close again with police escort and 13-mile diversion in place

The next stage of work on Armley Gyratory will take place from Monday May 13 and is planned to end by 10am on Sunday May 19. Full and partial night time closures will be in place as the construction of the new Spence Lane footbridge takes place.

It will be the second of three footbridges completed around the Gyratory with new wider and more accessible footways, after the Gelderd Bridge works were completed last week.

Spence Lane footbridge spans 32.9 metres long and four metres wide. It will cross over the A643 and join either side by two new accessible ramps to better meet the needs of non-motorised users and people with disabilities. 

All the new upgraded footbridges are designed to ensure they will need less maintenance work and inspection, over future decades, Leeds City Council said. 

The transport of the new ramp, crane lift and complex bridge engineering means the ramps are delivered in sections and joined together on site. The work will be undertaken at night from May 13-18.

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During Saturday night (May 18) the main span will be transported to the Armley Gyratory under police escort from junction 2 of the M621.

Monday May 13 to Friday May 17

There will be full and partial lane closures with signed diversions in place at night throughout the week.

Five night-time closures will take place from Monday May 13 to Friday 17 May starting 8pm until 5.30am. The A643 northbound carriageway will be closed from junction 2 (M621) to the Gyratory. 

The full closure allows for police escort to deliver any ramp sections. There will be a diversion of five miles in place during this section of the work. 

Saturday May 18 to Sunday May 19

The Spence Lane main span works will take place on Saturday May 18 over one night from 7pm on Saturday May 18 to 10am Sunday May 19. The crane will be placed on the A643 northbound carriageway. Traffic will be running in lane four of the gyratory during this operation.

The A643 northbound carriageway will be closed. The Gyratory exit to Wellington South will also be closed. Traffic will be running in one lane around the gyratory to allow for sufficient working space. 

The A643 northbound carriageway will be closed at the Wortley Lane junction, with access provided for traffic to Wortley Lane northbound only from Junction 2 (M621). 

There will be a signed diversion of 13 miles in place to accommodate all classes of vehicles.

Due to the length of the main span, the delivery of this will be via M621 junction 2. The load will travel north along the A643 northbound carriageway before crossing onto the A643 southbound carriageway. 

The transport will continue north on the A643 southbound carriageway (against the flow of traffic) until it reaches the Gyratory. This movement will be fully controlled by the police and the timing is between 8.30pm-9.45pm.

The work schedule and activity are weather dependent which could change or delay work taking place, the council said.

Further details about the works are on the Leeds Council website.