Harewood Bridge: Leeds drivers face 15-mile diversion and 30 minute delays as major roadworks shut bridge

From Wednesday, July 26 to Thursday, August 24, the historic Grade II listed Harewood Bridge, which carries the A61 Leeds to Harrogate Road across the River Wharf at Harewood, will shut for essential maintenance. The footway across the bridge will remain open throughout the works.

The important crossing sees 17,000 vehicles use it each day. The closure and essential works are planned to coincide with the school summer holidays, with reduced levels of traffic.

Leeds City Council along with construction partner Balfour Beatty will carry out waterproofing, resurfacing and foot path repair works. The council has previously carried out temporary repair patches to extend the longevity of the carriageway, but now unfortunately these repairs can no longer continue without fixing the underlining problem.

Coun Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “Harewood Bridge is a strategic vehicle crossing used by thousands of people each day and therefore to close it requires careful planning. By carrying out the repair works during the school summer holidays we can hopefully limit the disruption with expected lower traffic levels.

“We apologise in advance for the potential disruption and ask road users for their patience. The works are essential for the long-term maintenance of this vital crossing between Harrogate and Leeds."

The replacement waterproofing will lead to benefits such as an increased reliability of journeys and reduction in congestion caused by unplanned emergency closures for carriageway repairs, a reduced risk of accidents caused by potholes on the carriageway and a reduced risk of damage to vehicles caused by potholes on the carriageway.

In March, Leeds pensioner Diane Lowe, 66, contacted the Yorkshire Evening Post after becoming embroiled in a row with council over claims that a pothole on the bridge had caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to her car.

After being escorted by a recovery team from the nearby Harewood Arms Hotel to a local garage, Diane was handed a bill of £1,100 with one new wheel and two new tyres needed to get the car back on the road.

Before the closure there will be advance signage and notices to keep road users informed. Full traffic management will be in place with a diversion and signage for road users to follow. The diversion route follows from Otley Road, Arthington Lane, Main Street, Poole Bridge, Harrogate Road, Swindon Lane and onto Harrogate Road.

The same diversionary route will be in operation in the opposite direction and mapped out via Google Maps it will leave motorists with a near 15-mile reroute and over 30 minute journey delays.

During the closure pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to cross the bridge, managed safely by the on-site construction team. The council is engaging local road users, businesses and farmers to see what support can be offered to mitigate impact on their work.