One of the most impressive bridges in Yorkshire has been completed, spanning the Leeds to Hull rail line and opening large tranches of residential development land.
The structure, designed by HBPW, is located to the east of Leeds and sits in the shadow of Thorpe Park Business Park, the longest established facility of its type in the area.
Thorpe Park is located between Whitkirk and Swillington and has been under development for more than two decades with plans well in hand to create more commercial space over the coming months, including a cinema complex and retail space for the likes of Next.
Thorpe Park Developments Ltd (TPDL), who are behind the business park, are also leading the development of a major dual carriageway which will ultimately form part of the East Leeds Orbital Route (ELOR) once it has been adopted by Leeds City Council.
And as part of the current on-going development they employed the services of contractor, Galliford Try to construct a new bridge over the Leeds to Hull railway line on what is currently a large area of land to the east of Cross Gates.
Now complete, the bridge will play a key role in enabling residential traffic from the old Vickers site at Cross Gates – earmarked for houses but not yet developed – to access the ELOR and other key highways in the area.
The bridge is also deemed key to the future development of Thorpe Park Business Park as well as Leeds City Council’s residential strategy for East Leeds.
It has a 29m span and uses integral prestressed W-beams, with reinforced concrete abutments, to form a large portal frame. Whilst currently crossing two tracks the bridge has been designed with a further two in mind which may result from future upgrades of the Trans Pennine line.
The bridge will carry a dual carriageway and cycleways to both sides and at 28m wide, is almost as wide as it is long!