Otley Bridge replacement footway reopens following major upgrade

The Otley Bridge footway reopened to the public on Thursday (20 November) after an extensive demolition and re-construction of the cantilever footway.

In July 2023, Leeds City Council received public reports of defects on the Otley Bridge footway and after urgent investigations concluded for safety reasons it needed replacing with a new footway. The work started on site in March 2025 to build a temporary footway which opened in May. The existing footway was then demolished and replaced.

To enable works to be undertaken safely with minimal disruption, lane and road closures were planned at less busy times, avoiding the need for full weekend closures of the bridge.

The final phase of works will see the removal of the temporary footway and reinstatement of both riverside parks, either side of the bridge.

The footway was delivered by specialist contractor Balfour Beatty, the new 79 metre footway is robust and expected to last 120 years. The works have been a major feat of engineering which required significant planning with careful scheduling and consideration to avoid environmental harm, including independent ecological, aquatic, bat and arboricultural surveys through close coordination with the Environment Agency (EA) and English Heritage.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

“We are excited to officially reopen the Otley Bridge footway, which can now be enjoyed safely by the public to cross the town. It marks the successful conclusion of a complex and challenging effort to restore a vital link for the community.

“We would like to thank everyone for their understanding and patience whilst we completed this major upgrade. We also extend our thanks to the project team involved who have worked in some really challenging conditions.”

To conclude the project, Tittybottle Park and a section of Wharfemeadows Park north of the river will be restored having been affected by the works. This will include planting 13 replacement trees and replanting two mature oak trees which were temporarily stored in a tree nursery.

Following EA agreement, the temporary footbridge removal is programmed for completion before Christmas. The reinstatement of the parks and Garnett's Field is expected to be restored for public use early next year.