Regent Street Flyover underpins city centre transformation

Built in the late 1960s, Regent Street Flyover is in need of replacement and essential bridge improvement works will help provide options for managing traffic when this takes place. In October the Council will submit a bid to the DFT to fund a replacement, with the outcome known by the end of December.

The replacement of Regent Street Flyover along with complementary works to the Armley Gyratory, ensures the Inner Ring Road will maintain traffic flow and enable the pedestrianisation of City Square.

Moving vehicles around the outer edge of the city and closing Neville Street to through traffic, can enable the Council to transform the city centre for a more liveable, greener and better connected city. It will help spark major and wider improvement projects in the city centre, allowing an unprecedented opportunity to create better public spaces.

It includes an expanded pedestrianised City Square and complete renovation of the frontage to Leeds Station on Bishopgate Street – creating the desired welcome to a ‘world class city’. It further enables the development of the South Bank with a new urban square on Meadow Lane connecting to plans for a City Park.

The schemes will add value to the changes already taking place on the Headrow and surrounding streets, leading to City Square. Giving priority to more pedestrianised areas and non-motorised vehicle movement, instead of heavy-trafficked spaces, will make a positive difference to improving the city’s carbon footprint and air quality.

These improvements are part of, Leeds City Council’s transport strategy for the city, Connecting Leeds. Connecting Leeds are working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, partners and stakeholders to improve all aspects of the transport network in Leeds and connecting to the wider Leeds City Region.

Regent Street Flyover carries the A64(M) Inner Ring Road over the A61 Regent Street. It is an important bridge for traffic travelling around and into the city with an estimated daily 43,000 vehicles passing over it and 30,000 vehicles passing below it (A61).

Executive board member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Lisa Mulherin said:

“These combined works support our vision to create a more people friendly, accessible and world class city centre, with improvements to air quality and lowering our carbon footprint.

“Our aim is to re-route motorised vehicle traffic out of the city centre, to benefit pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. This is key to unlocking more pedestrianised spaces in the heart of the city, which I know many people would like to see.”

“This is a huge scheme of interconnected city centre transformation which begins with a replacement of Regent Street Flyover and redevelopment of Armley Gyratory. These works enable us to take more motorised vehicles and their carbon emissions out of the city centre and contribute to tackling the Climate Emergency.”

Further information

The vision set out for Connecting Leeds is to deliver a transformational step change in the transport network and connectivity in Leeds and the wider region. It’s aiming to help and support bringing people, places, jobs, learning and leisure closer together. This will be achieved through improvements to road, rail, bus, park and ride, cycling and walking services and infrastructure, reducing congestion and improving air quality and accessibility in Leeds along with utilising the latest technology innovations.

It has been developed from the feedback received in the biggest-ever transport conversation held with residents, businesses, stakeholders and visitors in the city which included more than 8,000 people taking part in a survey in 2016.

For more information go to www.leeds.gov.uk/connectingleeds or @ConnectingLeeds on twitter or through Leeds City Council’s Facebook page.

For more information about how City Square transformation fits into the Leeds Our Spaces strategy visit www.leedsourspaces.co.uk

For media enquiries please contact:

Adrian Capon

Leeds City Council communications and marketing

T: 0113 378 1622

Email: adrian.capon@leeds.gov.uk