Harewood Bridge: Leeds council issues update as Storm Babet postpones key resurfacing works

Grade-II listed Harewood Bridge, which carries the A61 Leeds to Harrogate Road across the River Wharfe, was due to shut overnight on Wednesday 18 and Thursday, October 19 to carry out further specialist resurfacing work, with a 15-mile signed diversion in place.

The bridge sees 17,000 vehicles use it each day and was recently closed for a period of three weeks during the summer for waterproofing, resurfacing and footpath repair works. The temporary re-closure, designed to complete a section of the bridge unable to be completed during the first closure, has now been postponed however due to the impending bad weather.

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “Unfortunately the planned specialist surface treatment to Harewood Bridge was postponed, due to Storm Babet and the heavy rain that was forecast.

“For the works to happen, conditions must be absolutely dry for the period of treatment to the road surface. Alternative arrangements are being looked into by the contractor about how we carry out this work with wetter and possibly unpredictable weather ahead.”

In March, local resident Diane Lowe, 66, contacted the Yorkshire Evening Post after becoming embroiled in a row with Leeds City Council over claims that a pothole on the bridge had caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to her car. The council previously carried out temporary repair patches to extend the longevity of the carriageway, prior to the total resurfacing and waterproofing carried out during August’s closure.

Harewood Bridge remains open while rearranged dates are considered.