City centre improvements

Find out how we're improving transport links in the city centre.

City Square

City Square, located by the Queens Hotel exit of Leeds Rail Station, is a busy thoroughfare for pedestrians, cyclists, buses, and cars. As a result, the square and the area around it is often congested, meaning drivers and bus users experience delays at peak times.

The City Square scheme aims to reduce the volume of traffic in City Square, while maintaining access to key destinations via other appropriate routes.

Construction began in September 2022 and will complete next year.

Learn more about the City Square improvements external link.

Armley Gyratory

Construction work has now started on Armley Gyratory and due to complete in winter 2023.

Learn more about our plans for improving Armley Gyratory external link.

Corn Exchange

The area around the Corn Exchange has been fully transformed by construction work completed in spring 2022.

This area is lively and vibrant. Every day it sees many residents, workers and students pass through. It is home to one of the city's most iconic buildings, a gateway into the city for buses, cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

The construction work made significant improvements including widening pavements, safer cycle ways and pedestrian crossings, bus priority measures, more greenery and upgraded bus shelters.

The public realm scheme alongside the Connecting Leeds improvements sees planted trees lining the streets to create a welcoming green space and shelter for wildlife, safer routes through for cyclists, and crossing points designed to assist pedestrians to navigate through the space safely

The public space in the City Centre will provide a major new amenity for the people of Leeds, a place to meet, greet and experience, with the backdrop of one of the City's most celebrated buildings

Watch a video on YouTube showcasing the highways and public realm improvements surrounding Leeds Corn Exchange external link.

Image of Corn Exchange area improvements

Regent Street flyover

The work to rebuild Regent Street flyover has completed.

The flyover was rapidly deteriorating and would need to be closed permanently to ensure public safety. The replacement of the flyover will ensure the Inner Ring Road can maintain traffic flow for many years to come and enable future improvements in the city centre such as the City Square improvements.

Watch a video on YouTube of the opening of the new Regent Street Flyover external link.

Leeds City Rail Station and surrounding area

The scheme will see an investment of £39.5 million to significantly improve the station’s main entrance and surrounding area. The area’s appearance and visibility will be improved and a variety of access options provided, including the installation of wider, safer steps outside the entrance of the station and two large passenger lifts.

New Station Street will become a much improved and more pedestrian-friendly environment, with new cycle infrastructure to promote sustainable active travel, encouraging people to walk and cycle more often and contribute to the Climate Emergency 2030 target. This transformation will help create an attractive destination and a modern gateway to the city centre, South Bank and beyond.

The improvements will be delivered by the council and construction will start in late summer of 2022.

Learn more about our plans and see our visualisations for this project external link.

Completed works

Headrow

After two years of construction, work is now complete on The Headrow Gateway scheme. The £20m+ scheme will strengthen the provision for sustainable transport modes in the city centre and the wider Leeds district. It will also improve the city centre as a place to work, live, shop and entertain.            

The Headrow has been transformed into an area that prioritises buses while offering dedicated public spaces, wider pavements and better cycle lanes so people can get around the city centre more easily.            

Find out more about the Headrow, Park Row and Infirmary Street Gateway works.            

Infirmary Street and Park Row

Work to improve Park Row and Infirmary Street is now complete after 18 months of construction.               

Park Row has been converted into a one-way street for most of its length making it easier for buses to use and easing congestion. The pavements have been significantly widened and a protected cycleway has been created which will link the City Station to The Headrow and Cookridge Street. The road has been modernised and more greenery has been planted to improve public realm.            

Over on Infirmary Street, the road has been converted into a two-way operation designed for bus and cycle priority access (with provision for local access for businesses and residents). Bus stops will be upgraded and bus-only restrictions will improve journey times and air quality.

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