Pictures show giant crane lifting beams into place as historic Leeds railway bridge is rebuilt
The bridge beams have been moved into place
Pictures have captured the moment a giant crane lifted bridge beams into place over a crucial railway route in Leeds.
Austhorpe Lane railway bridge in Cross Gates, which was initially constructed between 1830 and 1834, has been demolished and is now being rebuilt as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade’s programme of improvements.
Aimed at delivering more frequent, faster, greener trains on a better, more reliable railway, the historic bridge was reconstructed as it is was too low to accommodate the overhead electric line equipment needed to electrify the line between York, Leeds and Manchester.
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Now, pictures have captured the moment that bridge beams and other major components were moved into place across Saturday and Sunday (August 22/23).
Designed by James Walker & Alfred Burges, the historic structure was demolished over the weekend of June 6 and 7.
Austhorpe Lane will be the third railway bridge in Leeds to be rebuilt as part of the TRU upgrades, following Cross Gates’s Station Road bridge last year and ongoing works to rebuild the A656 Ridge Road Bridge, between Garforth and Micklefield.
The route is expected to remain closed to all vehicles and pedestrians until January 2027, with work understood to be progressing on schedule.
Full project timeline - these dates may be subject to change
August 2026: Installation of new bridge. A large crane will be set up on the south of the bridge. Steel and pre-cast concrete units will be delivered from the compound to the site. There will be impact on access to adjacent properties during the crane works due to space required for the crane and the steel and concrete sections being installed.
August 2026 to January 2027: Structure works and highway build. Engineers will pour the remaining concrete elements, install waterproofing, back-fill the new bridge deck ends and complete masonry work to the bridge parapets in line with our heritage agreements.