Award for Leeds City Station's £20m southern entrance

The eye-catching structure – which stands over the River Aire and was built at a cost of £20m – has been given a prize in the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Yorkshire and Humber Awards.

The awards recognise imaginative concepts in civil engineering practice across the Yorkshire and Humber region.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) chair Coun Peter Box said: “[This award] from the Institution of Civil Engineers is recognition of the excellent work by the WYCA team and those of our partners Leeds City Council, Network Rail and the Department for Transport to overcome the considerable challenges presented by building the impressive structure over the River Aire.”

Prior to January’s opening, there was no direct way to reach the station from the south of Leeds – forcing people walking in from thriving employment areas such as Holbeck urban village to use the Dark Arches to access the entrances off City Square.

The new entrance is estimated to be saving some workers up to 50 minutes on their weekly commute.