Closures to a trunk road supplying a major UK airport are threatening to cause travel chaos as thousands prepare to jet off for the half-term break.
The A658 Pool Bank New Road is used every year by thousands of holidaymakers as they arrive and depart from Leeds Bradford Airport.
From Monday, it will be shut from 7pm to 6am for an estimated 11 days, with the route expected to reopen normally from Friday, May 29.
During this time, travellers heading to the airport from North Yorkshire, the North East, and Wetherby are expected to face delays of around 30 minutes as they navigate the diversion.
A spokesperson for Leeds Bradford Airport warned that the works ‘may cause disruption’ and they ‘would strongly recommend allowing additional time when travelling to or from the airport’.
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The works coincide with when most state schools in the region break up for half-term, a busy period that puts additional pressure on the airport and surrounding infrastructure.
As the news spread on social media, some people voiced their frustrations with the timing.
One said: ‘Staggering timing as the Friday/overnight on Saturday is the first day of half-term so lots of families will be travelling.’
A second person joked: ‘Oh joy! An even longer journey.’
Meanwhile, a third complained that existing works to the airport had already caused ‘horrendous’ congestion.
Signed diversions will be in place throughout the closures, which run from the Dyneley Arms/Pool Bank junction of the A658 to the airport.
During the closures, traffic will be diverted via the A660 through Lawnswood Roundabout onto the Leeds Ring Road, then via Horsforth Roundabout onto the A65 and through Yeadon before reaching the airport.
The airport notified travellers of the disruption via social media, and said it did ‘appreciate these works may cause disruption when travelling during these times’.
More than four million passengers use the West Yorkshire airport, which is home to airlines including Jet2, Ryanair, and easyJet, every year.
The airport is hoping to increase this figure to seven million by 2030 and opened a new terminal last year as part of the expansion.
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