Otley Bridge: Temporary traffic lights installed on historic Leeds bridge amid ongoing tree dispute

Starting today (January 16), the bridge will be reduced to a single lane to facilitate pedestrian crossings over the River Wharfe while safety inspections of the ancient bridge take place twice a week.

The council has stated that the deteriorating pedestrian footway alongside Otley Bridge is "at the end of its serviceable life" and will be replaced by the end of next winter.

Safety inspections are being conducted to ensure that the footway can remain safely open to pedestrians until its replacement can occur. The installation of a temporary footbridge was paused late last year due to public outcry regarding the removal of two trees, including a 180-year-old oak tree, which the council claims must be felled before bird nesting season begins in February.

Leeds City Council noted that if the trees cannot be removed, the bridge will remain reduced to a single lane with temporary three-way traffic lights for the duration of the works, which are expected to continue until late Autumn 2025.

It warned that temporary traffic lights on the bridge for an extended period are likely to cause significant traffic impacts in Otley. This includes long queues and congestion that could affect emergency services, increase air pollution, and compromise pedestrian safety.

Disruptions are also likely to impact local businesses and students traveling to Prince Henry's Grammar School and primary schools in the area.

The temporary traffic lights will be operational from today, depending on river levels, and will be in place for at least a week. Additionally, Mill Lane up to Manor Street will be closed during this period to help reduce congestion on Bridge Street.

Don’t miss a single thing when it comes to news across Leeds, sign up for the Yorkshire Evening Post’s free daily newsletter today.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “The existing pedestrian footway continues to deteriorate and we cannot delay essential repair work.

“Engineers have spent over a year looking at potential options, and we have looked into the feasibility of all ideas sent to the council since the public consultations in August of last year.

“Due to significant constraints on site, there are only two viable options open to us to allow this essential repair work to go ahead; building a temporary footway which unfortunately would mean the loss of two trees, or temporary traffic lights on Otley Bridge for around six months.

“Concerns around access for emergency services, the hospital, the school and for all residents led us to maintain that installing a temporary footway is the safest and least disruptive way to carry out this essential and major engineering work.

“However, after several site visits to establish safe working areas and practices for the felling of the two trees, we have been prevented from doing so.

“If the two trees cannot be removed before the end of February, the temporary footway cannot be installed, and we will have to resort to reducing Otley Bridge to a single lane of traffic using temporary signals for at least six months.

“While most of the feedback we have received supports the construction of a temporary footway if we cannot create a safe working environment there due to the strength of feeling and associated actions of protestors, then there would only be one option left, which is to install temporary traffic lights on Otley Bridge."

If the trees are felled, they will be replaced by at least 13 semi-mature trees across Otley, including in Tittybottle Park, subject to community consultation.

The council also indicated that if work on the temporary footway begins in March, this would take about 12 weeks, with an expected completion in late spring this year. Work to remove the existing footway would then commence, lasting approximately 20 weeks.