A62/A644 (Wakefield Road) Link Road

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

Update on A62/A644 (Wakefield Road) Link Road

We received a significant response to the public engagement exercise with over 500 comments received from the public and key stakeholders. We've now published our Public Engagement report which summarises how we engaged the public and views shared with us.

You can download a copy of the public engagement report by clicking here (opens in a new tab), or by visiting the documents library on this page.

We are now reviewing these comments in more details and will modify our designs to take these into account where we can.

We have also been continuing with our traffic assessments. However, government guidance recommends that more traffic data in the vicinity of the proposed scheme is used for further traffic assessments. This will help ensure we deliver the most suitable solution.

In light of this, we recently undertook further traffic surveys in the area. We need to incorporate this new information into the plans whilst minimising the impact on the overall delivery of the scheme. We will be in a position to provide a clearer update on the programme's delivery in the autumn.


What next?

In order to turn one of these options into a reality we need to follow a strict process, which we have summarised below:

  1. Decide the preferred option: this decision is based on a number of things, including the feedback from this engagement exercise, the results of traffic and environmental assessments and values for money.
  2. Submit option to West Yorkshire Combined Authority: if the Combined Authority are happy with this option they will commit to funding it.
  3. Create detailed plans and share publicly: Once we know we have definitely got the funding we will create detailed plans for the scheme and share them publicly for feedback.
  4. Submit planning application: We will then submit our planning application to seek approval to build the scheme.


Sign up to be kept informed

We recommend, if you haven't done so already, registering to the Your Voice site, or signing up to this project page, to receive emails when updates become available.


The following information was presented for the public engagement December 2018 - January 2019

Why we are improving the A62/A644 (Wakefield Road) in the Cooper Bridge area

Congestion, long journey times and poor air quality is currently experienced in the Cooper Bridge area and on the A644 and A62 nearby. Kirklees Council, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council, is currently considering a number of options aimed at reducing congestion in the Cooper Bridge area. These include a number of different solutions including a new link road.

West Yorkshire Transport Fund

As part of the 'City Deal' between West Yorkshire, York and central government, a £1 billion transport fund has been allocated to the region to increase housing, employment and economic growth. It is this funding that will enable transport improvements to be made in the Cooper Bridge area and on the approaches.

A62/A644 (Wakefield Road)

The A62 and A644 have been identified as key routes which, through improvements, could support the creation of jobs in the area, relieve congestion, reduce journey times for general traffic, and improve pedestrian and cycling accessibility. Kirklees, with support from Calderdale Council, are proposing changes that will be delivered in various phases.

These improvements aim to:

  • significantly relieve congestion and improve journey times and reliability
  • support economic growth
  • improve road safety
  • improve pedestrian and cyclist facilities to encourage more use
  • improve air quality
  • support housing growth

A62/A644 scheme

We are currently considering three options aimed at addressing the above issues in the Cooper Bridge area.

All options include the following:

  • Significant highway changes at the Cooper Bridge junction involving reconstruction and relocation of the islands to improve signal timings at all three junctions of A644 Wakefield Road, A62 Leeds Road (South) and A62 Leeds Road (West).
  • Changes to the A62 Leeds Road which will provide general upgrades to the existing roads and footpaths from Miller & Carter Steakhouse through to the Bradley junction, including the reconstruction and relocation of islands within the junctions to improve signal timings.
  • General changes on the A6107 Bradley Road, and A62 Leeds Road approaches to Bradley junction, including the reconstruction and relocation of islands within the junctions to improve signal timings.
  • General changes on the A6107 Bradley Road, and A62 Leeds Road approaches to Bradley junction, including adding access on to the new link road. Also the reconstruction and relocation of islands and the provision of a one way system toward the southern end of Oak Road.
  • Construction of a new roundabout on the link road to provide access to the landfill site and the proposed Bradley Park housing development.
  • Provision of new cycle lanes and pedestrians footways along Cooper Bridge Road, A62 Leeds Road, the Cooper Bridge junction and A644 Wakefield Road.

Specific features of each option are:

Option A:

  • Widening of the A644 Wakefield Road to a dual carriageway between the M62 and the new link road
  • Construction of a dual carriageway link road between Bradley junction and the A644 Wakefield Road

Option B:

  • Widening the A644 Wakefield Road between the Cooper Bridge junction and the M62 to provide an additional lane towards the M62
  • A new two-way single carriageway link road between Bradley junction and the A644 Wakefield Road

Option C:

  • Widening of the A644 Wakefield Road between the Cooper Bridge junction and the M62 to provide an additional lane towards the M62.
  • Construction of a link road between Bradley junction and the A644 Wakefield Road.
    • between the A644 and the new roundabout on the link road, the road will be a two-way single carriageway.
    • between Bradley junction and the new roundabout will be a one-way single carriageway providing access from Bradley junction to the new link road.

Our first draft scheme plans of the proposed improvements can be found in the plans section of this page, or downloaded from the documents library to view in more detail.

In addition to the above proposed improvements, we are also working in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's CityConnect (opens in a new page) programme to create an improved cycle route from Brighouse through to Cooper Bridge. We will share more details on this once the designs are complete.

You can comment on our plans by completing the survey below.

We have created an extensive list of FAQ's (opens in a new window), but should you have any additional questions, please ask them in the Q&A tab below, and we will endeavour to provide a response as soon as possible.

Update on A62/A644 (Wakefield Road) Link Road

We received a significant response to the public engagement exercise with over 500 comments received from the public and key stakeholders. We've now published our Public Engagement report which summarises how we engaged the public and views shared with us.

You can download a copy of the public engagement report by clicking here (opens in a new tab), or by visiting the documents library on this page.

We are now reviewing these comments in more details and will modify our designs to take these into account where we can.

We have also been continuing with our traffic assessments. However, government guidance recommends that more traffic data in the vicinity of the proposed scheme is used for further traffic assessments. This will help ensure we deliver the most suitable solution.

In light of this, we recently undertook further traffic surveys in the area. We need to incorporate this new information into the plans whilst minimising the impact on the overall delivery of the scheme. We will be in a position to provide a clearer update on the programme's delivery in the autumn.


What next?

In order to turn one of these options into a reality we need to follow a strict process, which we have summarised below:

  1. Decide the preferred option: this decision is based on a number of things, including the feedback from this engagement exercise, the results of traffic and environmental assessments and values for money.
  2. Submit option to West Yorkshire Combined Authority: if the Combined Authority are happy with this option they will commit to funding it.
  3. Create detailed plans and share publicly: Once we know we have definitely got the funding we will create detailed plans for the scheme and share them publicly for feedback.
  4. Submit planning application: We will then submit our planning application to seek approval to build the scheme.


Sign up to be kept informed

We recommend, if you haven't done so already, registering to the Your Voice site, or signing up to this project page, to receive emails when updates become available.


The following information was presented for the public engagement December 2018 - January 2019

Why we are improving the A62/A644 (Wakefield Road) in the Cooper Bridge area

Congestion, long journey times and poor air quality is currently experienced in the Cooper Bridge area and on the A644 and A62 nearby. Kirklees Council, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council, is currently considering a number of options aimed at reducing congestion in the Cooper Bridge area. These include a number of different solutions including a new link road.

West Yorkshire Transport Fund

As part of the 'City Deal' between West Yorkshire, York and central government, a £1 billion transport fund has been allocated to the region to increase housing, employment and economic growth. It is this funding that will enable transport improvements to be made in the Cooper Bridge area and on the approaches.

A62/A644 (Wakefield Road)

The A62 and A644 have been identified as key routes which, through improvements, could support the creation of jobs in the area, relieve congestion, reduce journey times for general traffic, and improve pedestrian and cycling accessibility. Kirklees, with support from Calderdale Council, are proposing changes that will be delivered in various phases.

These improvements aim to:

  • significantly relieve congestion and improve journey times and reliability
  • support economic growth
  • improve road safety
  • improve pedestrian and cyclist facilities to encourage more use
  • improve air quality
  • support housing growth

A62/A644 scheme

We are currently considering three options aimed at addressing the above issues in the Cooper Bridge area.

All options include the following:

  • Significant highway changes at the Cooper Bridge junction involving reconstruction and relocation of the islands to improve signal timings at all three junctions of A644 Wakefield Road, A62 Leeds Road (South) and A62 Leeds Road (West).
  • Changes to the A62 Leeds Road which will provide general upgrades to the existing roads and footpaths from Miller & Carter Steakhouse through to the Bradley junction, including the reconstruction and relocation of islands within the junctions to improve signal timings.
  • General changes on the A6107 Bradley Road, and A62 Leeds Road approaches to Bradley junction, including the reconstruction and relocation of islands within the junctions to improve signal timings.
  • General changes on the A6107 Bradley Road, and A62 Leeds Road approaches to Bradley junction, including adding access on to the new link road. Also the reconstruction and relocation of islands and the provision of a one way system toward the southern end of Oak Road.
  • Construction of a new roundabout on the link road to provide access to the landfill site and the proposed Bradley Park housing development.
  • Provision of new cycle lanes and pedestrians footways along Cooper Bridge Road, A62 Leeds Road, the Cooper Bridge junction and A644 Wakefield Road.

Specific features of each option are:

Option A:

  • Widening of the A644 Wakefield Road to a dual carriageway between the M62 and the new link road
  • Construction of a dual carriageway link road between Bradley junction and the A644 Wakefield Road

Option B:

  • Widening the A644 Wakefield Road between the Cooper Bridge junction and the M62 to provide an additional lane towards the M62
  • A new two-way single carriageway link road between Bradley junction and the A644 Wakefield Road

Option C:

  • Widening of the A644 Wakefield Road between the Cooper Bridge junction and the M62 to provide an additional lane towards the M62.
  • Construction of a link road between Bradley junction and the A644 Wakefield Road.
    • between the A644 and the new roundabout on the link road, the road will be a two-way single carriageway.
    • between Bradley junction and the new roundabout will be a one-way single carriageway providing access from Bradley junction to the new link road.

Our first draft scheme plans of the proposed improvements can be found in the plans section of this page, or downloaded from the documents library to view in more detail.

In addition to the above proposed improvements, we are also working in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's CityConnect (opens in a new page) programme to create an improved cycle route from Brighouse through to Cooper Bridge. We will share more details on this once the designs are complete.

You can comment on our plans by completing the survey below.

We have created an extensive list of FAQ's (opens in a new window), but should you have any additional questions, please ask them in the Q&A tab below, and we will endeavour to provide a response as soon as possible.

Q&A

We have created an extensive list of frequently asked questions and you can find these here (opens in a new page).  However, if you have another question, please write it here and we will try to get a response back to you as soon as possible.  Please be aware that over the next few weeks it may take longer than we would like to provide a response.  We will endeavour to respond to every question individually, and all feedback received will be included in the analysis and reporting of this public engagement.  If you have not done so already, please take part in our questionnaire.  Thank you

Please note that any question you ask will be visible to all visitors to this site, so please do not include any personal information - alternatively you can email us.

loader image
Forgot password?
Didn't receive confirmation?
Register Now
Seems like you are already registered, please provide the password. Forgot your password? Create a new one now.
  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    I don't understand this. Will the drops ins walk us through the proposals? I just don't understand how this will alleviate the hotspots - a lot of the traffic round Cooper bridge isn't going to the m62. It's often queuing back through Mirfield and hartshead for people going to Huddersfield so I don't understand how this will help

    Mirfield resident asked over 5 years ago

    The provision of a link road will remove some of the traffic that currently uses the currently heavily congested Cooper Bridge roundabout. This reduction in traffic at Cooper Bridge will enable us to improve traffic signals timings on other approach i.e. from Mirfield / Liversedge to allow traffic to travel through the Cooper Bridge more quickly. We are also reassigning the lane allocation on Cooper Bridge Road to provide two lanes towards Huddersfield will allow more traffic to flow through the junction as well as improving signal timings at Cooper Bridge junction. We are still undertaking traffic assessments which will help us to determine if our assumptions are correct and which option performs the best. You can still attend one our drop in sessions to discuss the proposals with a member of the project team.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    In both option B and C the proposal is to have three lanes between the link Rod junction and the M62, with the additional lane going towards the motorway. Anyone who uses the exiting A644 at peak times will be aware that queues toward the motorway are almost non existent whereas queues from the motorway towards Cooper Bridge are extensive both during the morning and evening rush hours. Surely it would make more sense to have the extra lane in this direction.

    Mark Jessop asked over 5 years ago

    Our initial thoughts are that by building a link road and widening Wakefield Road we will relieve some of the congestion from Wakefield Road towards Cooper Bridge. We are also reassigning the lane allocation on Cooper Bridge Road to provide two lanes towards Huddersfield will allow more traffic to flow through the junction.  In addition we will improve signal timings at Cooper Bridge junction to allow traffic to travel through the Cooper Bridge junction more quickly, all of which will alleviate congestion on all approaches to Cooper Bridge. We are still undertaking traffic assessments which will help us to determine which option performs the best and whether or not amendments are required to the presented options.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    All traffic between Huddersfield and M62 to the north and east is via Cooper Bridge. Is it possible to construct a restricted junction between M62 and Bradford Road, allowing exit from M62 westbound and access to M62 eastbound? Bradford Road would then become the main route from M62 to Huddersfield centre. This with some modification to the A62 around Cooper Bridge might make the link road unnecessary.

    John W asked over 5 years ago

    The motorway and its junctions are owned by Highways England and they would need to support a scheme around this. Kirklees Council are in discussion with Highways England about a new junction but this is not to be expected in the foreseeable future. The Cooper Bridge scheme is within the council’s control and we are therefore in a position to deliver this much sooner than a new motorway junction.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    The proposals do not provide any solution for traffic from Huddersfield road and leeds road

    fatimah asked over 5 years ago

    Our initial thoughts are that by building a link road and widening Wakefield Road we will relieve some of the congestion from Wakefield Road towards Cooper Bridge. We are also reassigning the lane allocation on Cooper Bridge Road to provide two lanes towards Huddersfield will allow more traffic to flow through the junction. In addition we will improve signal timings at Cooper Bridge junction to allow traffic to travel through the Cooper Bridge junction more quickly, all of which will alleviate congestion on all approached to Cooper Bridge including from the ‘Miller and Carter’ to Cooper Bridge Roundabout. We are still undertaking traffic assessments which will help us to determine which option performs the best.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    Once this scheme has completed, will the route to/from Huddersfield be classified as a primary route (green signs) due to bypassing the current obstacle which is the low railway bridge adjacent to Cooper Bridge?

    Aleks_Lukic asked over 5 years ago

    We are still undertaking our traffic assessments which will help us to understand how the junctions will operate with the scheme in place, including assessing the turning movements for HGVs.  Once this work is completed we will be able to develop our designs to address any issues and agree on our strategy for road signage.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    In Option A how will traffic from the M62 be signed towards Huddersfield Town Centre? Will it be via Cooper Bridge or via the new link road? If via the new link road, will it be possible to have so much traffic turning left onto Bradley Road using a single lane then immediately right onto Leeds Road?

    Aleks_Lukic asked over 5 years ago

    We are still undertaking our traffic assessments which will help us to understand how the junctions will operate with the scheme in place.  Once these are completed we will be able to develop our designs to address any issues and agree on our strategy for road signage.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    I do not understand turning Oak Road into a one way system for part of it. As someone who uses this road multiple times a day in both direction for work and social trips I feel this is just unnecessary. The only thing needed here is consideration and manners from road users on Leeds Road. And yes I have already filled in the survey but there was no place or proposed plan that included this. As for the changed at cooper bridge. As others have mentioned the problem is coming towards the roundabout from Leeds Road and Huddersfield Road. Some kind of filter lane needs to be in place for traffic going towards the motorway as this is the hotspot for traffic. It takes me 7 minutes to get to work if I leave at 7am or 6pm. If I travel at 8am or decide to leave school shortly after I have dismissed the children, my travel time increases to 40 minutes.

    SarElizPal asked over 5 years ago

    Thank you for taking the time to provide your comment on the options proposals. This will be taken into consideration as a part of the analysis reporting stage which follows public engagement.

    At the moment our designs are only indicative and we are still undertaking traffic assessments to help us understand how traffic movements will change when both the scheme and other local developments, such as Bradley Park, are built.

    However, once the new link road has been introduced in to Bradley junction, to help improve journey times and reduce congestion at Bradley junction, we expect to need to divert traffic travelling from Cooper Bridge Road to Bradley Road via Leeds Road and Oak Road.

    To help minimise the impact of this on the local residents we propose changing the road to one way.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    Increasingly parents can no longer count on being able to send their children to the nearest school. Have studies shown wether this has increased school time traffic?

    Antonyk asked over 5 years ago

    Over the past four decades, travel to school patterns have changed. School bus services have been cut and the propensity for children to walk or cycle to school has declined due a number of factors which include issues around child and road safety. Although the proportion of primary school children walking to school has remained constant the number of secondary school pupils walking to school has reduced by 10%. It is a fact that traffic volumes increase during term time and reduce to a more manageable level during school holiday periods.

    The scheme we are proposing will improve travel times and journey times for the surrounding areas.
    As part of the Bradley Park housing allocation, there are plans to also provide a new primary school.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    Has consideration been given to creating a new Motorway junction, were the A641 crosses the M62?

    Antonyk asked over 5 years ago

    Strategic highways such as Motorways are under the jurisdiction of Highways England (HE) and consequently they would need to support a scheme around this. Kirklees Council are in discussion with HE about the possibility of junction 24A. As yet Junction 24A does not feature in the delivery plans of HE. Delivery of the A62 / A644 (Wakefield Road) Link Road scheme is within the council’s control and we are therefore in a position to deliver it much sooner than a new motorway junction.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    I believe the WYCA are tasked with improving air quality. An increase in electric vehicle uptake would improve air quality, What is the WYCA doing to promote electric vehicles and improve the charging infrastructure?

    Antonyk asked over 5 years ago

    Technically, local (highway) authorities have the legal responsibility for local air quality, not the Combined Authority.
    That aside, we are delivering the Ultra-Low Emission Taxi Scheme which, through partnership with Engie Power Limited will deliver up to 88 charge points that will be accessible to both the public and private hire/taxis.

    Our local authority partners are stipulating charging infrastructure at new commercial and residential developments to increase availability of charge points. 

Page last updated: 13 Aug 2019, 09:22 AM