THE footbridge over the River Wharfe in Otley is to be demolished and replaced with a new walkway after widespread defects were discovered.
Leeds City Council will install a temporary bridge to maintain pedestrian access across the river during the demolition work and construction of a new walkway on the ancient Otley Bridge.
The Council investigated after reports of defects on the existing walkway in July last year. An inspection by specialist contractors on the underside of the footway discovered what the council calls “widespread problems”.
The temporary footbridge will be constructed to the east of the 800-year-old Otley Bridge, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, linking into Tittybottle Park. It will allow pedestrians to cross the river while work is done on replacing the bridge walkway with minimum disruption to traffic.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “Otley Bridge is an ancient crossing in the centre of the town. For pedestrian safety we now urgently need to demolish and replace the footway to modern standards, after coming to the end of its useful life. The new temporary footbridge will allow these works to Otley footbridge to be carried out safely, with less disruption to vehicle flow across the town and which will continue to enable people to cross the river safely.
“The council considered a range of options which needed to factor for disruption, cost and timing of the works limited by planning, ecology and by the Environment Agency. By starting the construction of the temporary bridge now, means that the process of replacing the existing footbridge can start in spring next year. Unfortunately, there will be the need for some short-term disruption for access and noise, as we prepare the site for construction, especially to allow crane access to the site.
“Vital work like this always involves disruption and best efforts are being done to minimise any as much as possible. However, I know that it will still be inconvenient for people, and I would like to thank everyone for their understanding and patience whilst we do this urgent work. The urgency requires some short-term inconvenience to construct the temporary bridge to continue to allow this vital crossing in the town.
“We will keep residents regularly updated as the works progress and have set up a website (https://otleybridge.commonplace.is/) with information about the project, along with plans and timescales. The council will work closely with our contractor to make good progress over the months ahead, working towards an expected completion of the temporary bridge in spring 2025 and access to the new Otley footbridge in late summer 2025.”
The walkway dates back to the 1950s when a cantilevered pedestrian concrete walkway was added to improve safety, as traffic use grew. It is this walkway which is falling into disrepair with holes in the footway being covered by deck boards and rolling programme of inspections ahead of its replacement.
Specialist contractor Balfour Beatty were appointed to look at solutions for bridge replacement and traffic management of the works. Initial work looked at all the options which saw pedestrians being diverted into the carriageway and single lane with temporary traffic lights for vehicular traffic.
It was felt that any traffic restrictions in Otley town centre would be too disruptive, so a further contingency was developed to provide a separate temporary pedestrian crossing to enable the current traffic layout to be kept.
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said that if the council does not address the footbridge problems the deterioration will continue, with current mitigation finally becoming inadequate. This will eventually need a full closure of the walkway to pedestrians on safety grounds, and a lengthy pedestrian diversion or disruptive traffic lights to facilitate pedestrians on the road bridge.
Initial activity is subjected to constraints of the site along a residential street and the geography. This will include some tree and vegetation clearance on the southern side of the river to create a temporary working area and launch site for initial piling works and to position a crane that will lift the bridge sections into place. In the park on the northern side minor works will also need to be carried out for creating a temporary abutment for the footbridge and to divert utility services. After the scheme, the council will plant several semi-mature trees for any tree which can't be replaced like for like.
The council will write to residents who live nearest the work site to further explain the works, and provide regular progress updates over the duration of the scheme. Residents and businesses will also be able to speak to the project team at the Otley Community Hub on Nelson Street, starting in September on the following day/times: Tuesday 10am to 11am and Friday 1pm to 3pm.
Subject to the weather, the scheme is anticipated to be completed during autumn 2025.
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