Footbridge installation, road users need to plan ahead

Road users are being urged to plan ahead early next month as significant disruptive work takes place around the Armley Gyratory involving the full closure of the A58 Wellington Road northern arm of the junction.

Starting 8pm Saturday 8 February until 5.30am Monday 10 February sees the completion of the final phase with the installation of the new Wellington Road footbridge over the Armley Gyratory. This is the third of three footbridges completed around the Gyratory with new wider and more accessible footways.

Following the Wellington Road footbridge demolition in July 2024, the construction work is due to complete by early spring 2025, which will enable all three footbridges to be open to the public. All lanes of Wellington Road (A58) inbound and outbound will be closed with a full diversion in place. On 6am to 9am on Sunday 11 February further closures on Canal Street and Wellington Road to allow for vehicle movement.

Wellington Road footbridge will be 43.5 metres long and three metres wide. It will cross over the A58 and includes improvements to both approach ramps to better meet the needs of non-motorised users and people with disabilities. All the new upgraded footbridges are designed to ensure they will need less maintenance work and inspection, over future decades.

The new footbridge weighing approximately 60 tonnes will be installed using two cranes and a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT). To reduce the amount of disruption to traffic the install will be undertaken at night. During Saturday night on 8 February the main span will be transported to the Armley Gyratory under police escort from junction 2 of the M621.

To keep disruption to a minimum, our programme takes account of other roadworks and events happening across the city, especially sporting events and will adjust our plans accordingly. The council has worked with both the West Yorkshire Police and Leeds United to ensure upcoming fixtures will not be impacted and disruption minimised for the travelling public. The council works hard to prioritise, plan and co-ordinate complex schemes to ensure as least disruption as possible across our busy city.

Ahead of the weekend full closures, preparatory work to install new bridge column supports will take place overnight on Monday 27 January starting at 8pm. There will be a full closure of the carriageway between the Armley Gyratory northbound to Armley Road junction and from Wellington Street slip road southbound to Armley Gyratory. Subject to poor weather, there are contingency dates of Tuesday or Wednesday to complete this.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “I am pleased to see that the third and final Wellington Road footbridge is to be completed around the Armley Gyratory. These new bridges are transformative changes to the overhead footways for people walking and wheeling – making it easier to get across the gyratory, either going or away from the city centre. The works are also a bridge engineering challenge, as well as programme challenge to carry out, with the least disruption as possible.

“The team have worked hard to minimise disruption by planning, co-ordinating and sequencing large highways schemes across Leeds. They need careful planning with other works, not always in our control and events across our busy city. Specifically for this weekend we had to navigate a Leeds United FA cup home tie, which kicks off at lunchtime before our works.

“The installation of the Armley Gyratory Wellington Road footbridge marks the final point of the scheme, from 8pm Saturday 8 February to 5.30am Monday 10 February and completion over the next few weeks.

“Along with other highways schemes, please plan ahead when travelling through the Armley Gyratory (A58) over the weekend of Saturday 8 February. You will need to allow more time for your journeys, be patient and follow the signed road diversions in place.

“We thank everyone for their ongoing patience while we continue to work hard to minimise the disruption and thank those who have already changed the way they travel into and around the city centre.”