Regent Street flyover in Leeds set for £30million makeover

A key flyover bridge on the inner ring road in Leeds city centre is to be rebuilt in a major £30million project starting in May.

The Regent Street Flyover, which was originally built in the late 1960s, is to be replaced with a new enhanced structure to ensure traffic flow can continue on the key route through the city centre for decades to come. Damage from road salt and poor construction details typical of 1960’s construction have necessitated the need for this work.

The improvement is part of Connecting Leeds, the long-term transport strategy for Leeds which sees an unprecedented number of schemes set to transform the way we travel.

The bridge plays a vital role in the daily life of the city, with an estimated 43,000 vehicles passing over it every day while 30,000 vehicles pass below it on the A61.

The work, which is scheduled to be completed in spring 2022, will involve some overnight and weekend closures. The A64 (M) and A61 will remain open during the majority of the works, although their capacities will be temporarily reduced from four lanes to two. The A61 Regent Street will maintain its current capacity of four lanes under the flyover throughout.

Leeds City Council chief officer Highways and Transportation, Gary Bartlett said:

 “We are conscious that there are a lot of works taking place in and around the city at the moment and we are keen to give advance notice and information about the work to enable better journey planning and to promote alternative and more active forms of transport.

“Extra time should be allowed for journeys and where possible, we would like to ask people to leave cars at home and avoid travelling during peak times.

“Please ensure you plan ahead, check timetables or apps and leave more time for your journey as services will be busier. For shorter trips walking or cycling could be the fastest route to your destination.

“We will continue to work with bus operators to ensure that buses can continue to operate effectively throughout the work for Leeds residents and those working and visiting the city. We would like to remind people that the city remains open for business, however delays are inevitable when carrying out such a large-scale project.

 “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience that this work may cause however, we would also like to stress to people that this work is absolutely vital to ensure the bridge remains safe for road users.

“If you would like to keep up to date with Connecting Leeds, please subscribe to our newsletter http://bit.ly/ConnectingLeedsemails “

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For more information, please contact charley.richardson@leeds.gov.uk or call 0113 37 84155