Work to install a new barrier designed to improve safety and reduce noise for residents alongside a busy Leeds commuter route starts this month and is expected to take approx six months.
The work to install the barrier between junctions 6 and 7 of the M621 is one of a raft of improvements being carried out by Highways England. This major investment will support economic growth and improve journey times for drivers and the lives of people living near the road.
Highways England project manager Sujad Hussain said: “It is great that we are now moving towards the next stage of improvements in this vital commuter route. To carry out the work we’ll need to remove the existing safety barrier, dig new foundations and put up the new dual-purpose barrier.
The work will be carried out day and night with as much of the noisy work as possible being completed during the day. The barrier along Parnaby Road, close to properties will be installed during the day.
The hard shoulder will be closed throughout the work with some overnight closures of the main carriageway and slip roads – free recovery and CCTV will be in place for the duration of the work.
This is a second phase of a major package of work on the M621 to reduce congestion and improve safety between junctions 1 and 7. Highways England started work last autumn to widen the motorway at junction 7– creating an extra lane by widening the slip road which takes vehicles travelling eastbound onto the roundabout.
As part of this work the northern part of the roundabout is also being widened – increasing the number of lanes from two to four to improve capacity along the route.
Since Christmas contractors have been working six days a week to accelerate the programme as much as possible, with the aim to complete this work in April.
Highways England is adding additional lanes for vehicles to use on the roundabout at junction 2 and junction 3 westbound, as well as between junctions 2 and 3 where the hard shoulder is being converted into an additional lane for traffic.
Vehicles will no longer have to stop at the exit slip road at junction 2 and will instead by able to move freely between the M621 and A643. Highways England is also changing junction 3 westbound to give priority to the main M621 traffic, allowing it to flow more freely.
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