Leeds travel: Part of £11.6m investment for essential maintenance on road used by 83,000 vehicles a day

The Leeds Inner Ring Road is a particular focus for Leeds City Council, who have announced an £11.6 million investment into a maintenance programme, which will see a number of bridges, tunnels and other structures improved.

The Leeds Inner Ring Road works form part of a wider improvement programme over the coming decades, and Calverley River Bridge has been allocated £3.5 million for essential maintenance as part of the current year's spending.

A council report said a contractor had been appointed to start work on the bridge, suggesting that maintaining traffic flow over it is essential to prevent major disruption on the network.

Weight restrictions or closure of the bridge may be needed without the repairs, causing traffic congestion on the route.

Currently, the state of the Inner Ring Road is being managed with short-term repairs, but the longer-term strategy for the route could include investment in 5km of retaining walls and 16 critical bridges and tunnels.

The report said the Leeds Inner Ring Road structures are managed through a deterioration strategy, with only reactive maintenance being undertaken.

Essential maintenance is required over the coming decades to prevent extensive disruption to the city, should the structures deteriorate to a point of failure.

The road accommodates 83,000 vehicles a day, and takes half the traffic redirected from the closure of City Square.

The current year's maintenance funding includes cash from the council's capital budget and central government.

The report recommends the allocation of funding for a list of at-risk road structures, and as it is classed as a key decision worth more than £500,000, it could be subject to extensive scrutiny from councillors.