£20m road scheme will see new bus lanes and cycle lanes

But over £4m of that cost is likely to be spent before construction work has even begun.

On Thursday, West Yorkshire Combined Authority will discuss plans to create a “sustainable transport corridor” on Wakefield Road and a stretch of Tong Street – both part of the A650.

The funding will come from a £830,000,000 pot of cash awarded to West Yorkshire Combined Authority in 2022 to tackle congestion and boost public transport, walking and cycling on some of West Yorkshire’s busiest roads.

The Wakefield Road scheme will create 4.3km of new bus lanes on the route, along with a 1.7km long two-lane cycle path.

It involves a 2km stretch of Wakefield Road from Croft Street to Dudley Hill Roundabout, and a 500m portion of Tong Street from Dudley Hill Roundabout to Rook Lane.

A report going to the Combined Authority says the work will particularly benefit people “on low income, who may not have access to a car.”

If the scheme is approved and moves ahead work will start in Summer 2026, and be completed by April 2027.

As well as the bus and cycle lanes, the work will include

• New bus gates

• 14 upgraded bus stops, including shelters, seating, improved lighting, and real time journey information

• 0.8 km of new “shared use” (pedestrian/cyclist) areas

• New parking spaces

• Eight new surface level pedestrian / cycle crossings

• Removal of existing subway

• Side road treatments including raised footways across the side road for increased pedestrian priority

• 2,500 sqm of public space improvements including tree planting and areas of soft landscaping.

A report going to Thursday’s meeting says: “Improved walking and cycling routes will give better access to employment, education, leisure, and other opportunities, which is particularly important for those on low incomes who may not have access to a car.

Tong Street (Image: T&A)

“The majority of the corridor falls within the 10 per cent most deprived communities in the country.

“Improving the speed and journey time reliability of bus journeys will ensure that bus travel remains a viable alternative to car use, which is important for those on low incomes.”

But the report also reveals that design and planning work to prepare the scheme – including an outline business case and a full business case, will cost around £4.3m – 21 per cent of the cost of the entire project.

The report acknowledges “This is at the higher end of expectation for this stage of scheme development.”

Explaining the huge initial costs, the report says they “reflect the need to produce a compliant and relatively complicated business case at both the outline business case and full business case stages.

“The A650, which is an urban motorway, also demands extensive survey work and associated complex traffic management.”

Tong Councillor Matt Edwards (Green) said: “It's good news that the combined Authority is moving forward with the plan to improve the A650. This is a really important route into the city and I think most people will agree that a lot more needs to be done to improve it for everyone traveling in and out of the city centre.

"I am particularly pleased to see that the Combined Authority intend to include tree planting and landscaping to make it a more inviting entrance into the city as well as new level pedestrian crossings which will be a big improvement for wheelchair users, older people, cyclists and parents with push chairs.

"As a Tong Ward councillor I will be keeping a close eye on what is planned around Rook Lane and Dudley Hill to make sure that local residents are listened to. We are also pushing the Mayor of West Yorkshire to crack on with the long overdue Tong Street improvement scheme which is desperately needed.”

Temporary cycle lanes were installed on Wakefield Road during the Covid pandemic in a bid to make it easier to cycle during lockdown.

These lanes were criticised by many motorists, who argued they were rarely used by cyclists and created congestion, and some cyclists, who said they were poorly maintained.

These temporary lanes cost £80,000 to install, and were removed in Summer 2023 to reduce congestion during a major scheme of roadworks in the city centre. At the time Bradford Council said the lanes would eventually be made permanent, alongside improvements to bus routes.