M621 motorway

M621 shield
M621
Map
M621 highlighted in blue
Route information
Maintained by National Highways
Length7.7 mi (12.4 km)
Existed1972–present
HistoryConstructed 1972–75
Major junctions
West endDrighlington
Major intersections
M62 motorway

M1 motorway
East endRothwell
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Primary
destinations
Leeds
Road network
M606 M876

The M621 is a 7.7-mile-long (12 km) loop of motorway in West Yorkshire, England that takes traffic into central Leeds between the M1 and M62 motorways.

History

The first section of the M621 to open, known at the time as the 'South West Urban Motorway', extended from the M62 to junction 3 in central Leeds where it used to terminate at a roundabout which was also the terminus of the M1 motorway. This section opened in stages

First stage

M62 to junction 1 opened in 1971 (this was originally numbered M65).

Second stage

Junction 1 to junction 3 opened on 27 November 1973, known as Gildersome Street - Leeds.[1][2] It finished at the Beeston Interchange.[3]

Third stage

Construction started in December 1975 by A.F. Budge of Nottinghamshire, the Leeds South West Urban Motorway and Ingram Road Distributor, costing £5.5 million, 4 km (2.5 miles), to take 27 months.[4][5]

Redesignation

When the M1 was diverted away from Leeds when the 'M1 – A1 Lofthouse to Bramham' extension opened in 1999[6] adjustments were made to junction 3 and the Leeds section of the M1 was re-designated as M621, given junction 3 to junction 7).[1]

Junctions

County Location mi km Junction Destinations Notes
West Yorkshire Morley 0 0 [coord 1] M62  - Manchester;
A650 - Bradford;
A62 - Leeds, Birstall
Leeds 3.2 5.1 1[coord 2] A6110 - Leeds ring road
3.9 6.2 2[coord 3] A643 - Leeds
4.3 7.0 2a[coord 4] A58 - Beeston, Holbeck Eastbound entrance only [7]
4.8 7.8 3[coord 5] A653 - Leeds Centre, Beeston
5.2 8.4 4[coord 6] A61 - Leeds Centre, Hunslet
5.6 9.0 5[coord 7] A653 - Leeds Centre, Beeston
6.3 10.1 6[coord 8] Belle Isle Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
6.9 11.1 7[coord 9] A639 - Leeds, Stourton;
A61 - Robin Hood
8.0 12.9 [coord 10] M1  - London Northbound entrance and southbound exit only
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

*Ceremonial Counties

Coordinate list
M1 and M621 interchange
A view of central Leeds from the M621, Junction 6
Looking north east with Leeds in the distance

References

  1. ^ a b "M621 motorway". roads.org.uk.
  2. ^ South Yorkshire Times Saturday 24 November 1973, page 1
  3. ^ Huddersfield Daily Examiner Tuesday 20 November 1973, page 8
  4. ^ Retford Times Friday 6 December 1974, page 5
  5. ^ Retford Times Friday 14 February 1975, page 13
  6. ^ "M1 – A1 Lofthouse to Bramham". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012.
  7. ^ "Leeds: Exit slip road at junction 2a on M621 closed permanently". BBC News. 20 June 2023.
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