Major Yorkshire interchange to close for eight weeks as part of £3.6m maintenance project

Lofthouse Interchange will be closed for eight weeks Credit: Google Earth

A major Yorkshire interchange connecting the M1 and the M62 near Leeds will close at the end of June for eight weeks to allow for essential maintenance works to be carried out.

Engineers will be carrying out repairs to the four bridges at Lofthouse Interchange as part of a £3.6 million project. The bridges will also be re-waterproofed and the roundabout will be resurfaced.

Work to close the roundabout will start on Friday 26 June, with all closures scheduled to be in place by Monday 29 June.

Engineers will carry out repairs to the four bridges Credit: Highways England

The junction’s free flow link roads, which don’t require drivers to use the roundabout, will remain open and clearly signed diversion routes will be in place.

Anyone wishing to travel in the following directions will need to follow a signposted diversion route:

  • M1 northbound to M62 eastbound

  • M62 eastbound to M1 southbound

  • M62 westbound to M1 northbound

Diversions will take road users to the next junction on either the M1 or M62 and back to the Lofthouse Interchange where motorists can use the free-flowing link roads.

Clearly signed diversion routes will be in place Credit: Highways England

Highways England project manager Russel McLean said:

Lofthouse Interchange first opened in 1970 and carries 45,000 vehicles per day, linking many Yorkshire cities, including Leeds, Hull, Sheffield and York.

Work has been brought forward to the summer months to enable engineers to make the most of the lower traffic volumes with coronavirus restrictions in place.