Starting from approximate lunchtime on Friday 18th August, Harewood Bridge will be fully reopened to vehicles after successfully finishing the necessary maintenance work ahead of the initial schedule, which was originally set for Thursday 24th August.
Leeds City Council, in collaboration with construction partner Balfour Beatty, has executed waterproofing, resurfacing, and footpath repair tasks. The council had previously applied temporary patches to extend the lifespan of the road surface, but these stopgap solutions could no longer be continued without addressing the underlying issue. The maintenance activities commenced on 26th July and lasted slightly over three weeks.
The replacement of the waterproofing will yield several advantages, including:
Enhanced journey reliability and a decrease in congestion resulting from unforeseen emergency closures for road repairs.
Diminished risk of accidents caused by road potholes and reduced potential for vehicle damage arising from these potholes.
Harewood Bridge, a historically significant Grade II listed structure, serves as a passage for the A61 route connecting Leeds to Harrogate over the River Wharfe at Harewood. This crucial crossing witnesses the passage of numerous vehicles on a daily basis. The essential maintenance was planned to coincide with the school summer holidays when traffic levels are lower.
The decision to reopen the bridge ahead of the original schedule will enable vehicles and bus services to promptly return to normal operations without any delay or additional disturbances.
An overnight closure will likely be necessary in September to carry out specialised surfacing work.
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for sustainable development and infrastructure, said; “I’m delighted to see Harewood Bridge re-open to vehicles after successfully completing the waterproofing repairs and surfacing, almost a week ahead of schedule. I would like to thank people for their patience and apologise for any disruption during the work. Also, thank you to the team and contractors, for getting this important strategic route back open as quickly as possible.”
