The Regent Street flyover is undergoing a 'vital' £30m rebuild - this is when it will be finished

A key flyover bridge on the inner ring road in Leeds city centre is to be rebuilt in a major £30million project starting in May.
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The Regent Street Flyover, which was originally built in the late 1960s, is to be replaced with a new enhanced structure to ensure traffic flows on the key route in the decades ahead.

It comes as the Yorkshire Evening Post calls on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to use next week’s Budget to set out how the Government will boost transport investment in Leeds and get the city moving.

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The YEP is running its Unlock the Gridlock campaign in a bid to improve the city’s poor transport links.

Regent Street flyover (Photo: Leeds City Council).Regent Street flyover (Photo: Leeds City Council).
Regent Street flyover (Photo: Leeds City Council).

Damage has been caused to the bridge by road salt and its generally poor construction, according to Leeds City Council.

Chief officer for Highways and Transportation, Gary Bartlett, said the works were 'vital' to ensure the bridge remains safe.

Regent Street Flyover carries the A64(M) Inner Ring Road over the A61 Regent Street.

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It is an important bridge for traffic travelling around and into the city, with an estimated daily 43,000 vehicles passing over it and 30,000 vehicles passing below it.

The work, which is scheduled to be completed in spring 2022, will involve some overnight and weekend closures.

The A64 (M) and A61 will remain open during the majority of the works, although their lane capacities will be temporarily reduced from four to two.

The A61 Regent Street will maintain its current capacity of four lanes under the flyover throughout.

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These improvements are part of, Leeds City Council's transport strategy for the city, Connecting Leeds.

Connecting Leeds are working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, partners and stakeholders to improve all aspects of the transport network in Leeds and connecting to the wider Leeds City Region.

Mr Bartlett said: “We are conscious that there are a lot of works taking place in and around the city at the moment and we are keen to give advance notice and information about the work to enable better journey planning and to promote alternative and more active forms of transport.

“Extra time should be allowed for journeys and where possible, we would like to ask people to leave cars at home and avoid travelling during peak times.

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Mr Bartlett warned people to plan ahead and check timetables as services may be busier.

Walking or cycling could be the faster option for shorter trips, he added.

“We will continue to work with bus operators to ensure that buses can continue to operate effectively throughout the work for Leeds residents and those working and visiting the city," Mr Bartlett added.

"We would like to remind people that the city remains open for business, however delays are inevitable when carrying out such a large-scale project.

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“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience that this work may cause however, we would also like to stress to people that this work is absolutely vital to ensure the bridge remains safe for road users.

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