The South Leeds section of the Inner Ring Road is a £50M project which will link the whole ring road and the M621 so that motorists travelling across the city will no longer have to enter the city centre.

Construction started earlier this year and is expected to be finished by the end of 2008.

Leader of Leeds City Council and executive member for development, Councillor Andrew Carter said at a recent exhibition: “We are keen for people to come along to the exhibition to see for themselves how the road will take shape and ask questions.

“Along with the East Leeds Link Road this scheme is the final piece in the jigsaw of the city’s road network and is an essential part of our transport strategy for the city.

“It will foster flowing traffic across Leeds and ease congestion in the city centre and surrounding areas. It will also improve conditions for commuters generally and businesses and residents in South and East leeds will notice a significant improvement in access to development sites in that area.

“However, construction will be difficult in this urban area and while we will put every effort into minimising disruption we hope the public will bear with us as we are certain the end result will be worth it.”

The road, the 7th stage of the Leeds Inner Ring Road project and known as the LIRR7, will connect to stage six just to the West of the River Aire at South Accommodation Road/Clarence Road/Atkinson Street then run South West through Hunslet to join the M621 at Junction 4.

The work itself is technically complex and involves substantial engineering works. One 500m section will be carried above ground level on a major new viaduct, spanning Hunslet Road from the West of the River and on to the Hunslet Distributor Road.

The 600m Hunslet Viaduct features reinforced concrete underground columns, on which the concrete bases and impressive ‘wine glass’ supporting columns to the viaduct bridge deck are to be constructed. The filling to the old mine workings beneath the structures has been done and the three bridges spanning the Leeds-Derby railway alongside the M621 motorway and Moor Road and now progressing apace.

There is an intricate interface with the M621 and several new crossings of the Leeds-Derby railway line are needed. A new footbridge will be constructed at Church Lane/Hillidge Road. It is expected that LIRR7 will provide scope for further public transport improvements to the South of the city, as well as giving local communities the environment bonus of less traffic.

It will also allow the full benefits to be derived from city centre traffic innovations over the past 15 years, including the city centre loop, Public Transport Box and improvements to pedestrian areas and public space refurbishment.

The Main Contractor on this scheme is Pierse Contracting.