YEP Says: Months of Leeds road hold-ups are no laughing matter

The Bridgewater Place skyscraper in Leeds city centre is a grand building and makes a real positive statement to anyone entering the city.

But drivers are now facing months of disruption as work finally gets under way on a safety scheme to combat the dangerous wind tunnel effect near the skyscraper.

A section of busy commuter route Water Lane – which runs alongside the 32-storey building – will be closed in both directions from tomorrow.

The closure – which will allow what is being described as “piling activity” to be carried out – is scheduled to last until May 9.

Of course the work needs doing. Powerful winds can be whipped up in the area around Bridgewater Place during stormy conditions.

Pedestrian Edward Slaney, from Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, was crushed to death by a truck that was blown off its wheels close to the building in 2011. Now new safety measures are being planned.

Surely this wind tunnel effect should have been anticipated?

As it is, months of road closures are going to have a bad impact on thousands of motorists who travel between the motorways and Holbeck each day.

It is a shame that a route around one of the city’s prestigious landmarks will be disrupted.