2 Leeds Viaducts To Become Highline Routes?

2 Leeds Viaducts To Become Highline Routes?

Leeds scaffolding companies could soon find themselves very busy indeed if plans to turn two old railway viaducts in the city come to fruition, with two separate schemes in place right now to develop these old Victorian structures located just a mile apart from each other.

The viaduct itself was built back in 1882 by the London North Western Railway in order to bypass congested lines leading to Leeds Station. The new line from Huddersfield branched off at Farnley & Wortley, before going into the city through Beeston and Holbeck.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the two disused viaducts were built in Holbeck during the Victorian railway boom. Back in 2013, a group formed to bring the Holbeck Viaduct back into use, with supporters keen to see this become a reality by the year 2023.

Part of their vision would see a walkway created, green spaces, allotments, a market, play areas and a community arts space, with talks ongoing with Network Rail about the chances of reopening it.

Monk Bridge Viaduct, meanwhile, is much shorter than Holbeck and was originally built to serve as an access route into the old Leeds Central Station, taking the railway over the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

The station shut up shop in the 60s and it’s been abandoned since then. The structure stayed put when iron and steelworks Doncaster Monk Bridge took over the site.

BAM Monk Bridge is now keen to establish a skyline project with a greenway and pedestrian path, with bars, restaurants and shops. The firm has cited the skyline of New York as inspiration for the project, which was approved by the local authority back in 2017. Surveying work has been carried out but building hasn’t started as yet.

Of course, this isn’t the only project of this kind in the offing and there are all sorts of exciting developments in the pipeline for Leeds at the moment. The University of Leeds, for example, has just acquired a ten-acre plot of land to build a new Institute for High Speed Rail and System Integration, which will specialise in high-speed rail research.

And the government has just announced that major progress has now been made on a major extension to the main airport terminal building at Leeds Bradford Airport, the site’s biggest investment to date.

The aim is to significantly improve passengers’ travel experiences, including bigger immigration and baggage reclaim areas, more shopping and food outlets, more free seating and better departure gate facilities.

Liz Sugg, aviation minister, said: “The development at Leeds Bradford Airport will not only further strengthen it as an important global gateway to Yorkshire, but will also provide passengers with an exceptional travelling experience to and from the region.

“Improvements for local communities as well as major infrastructure projects like investment at Leeds station, Northern Powerhouse rail, HS2 and Heathrow expansion will continue to bring our country closer together, helping people move around more quickly and easily than ever before.”

This builds on the investment that has already been ongoing in the area, including over £170 million being invested in wider public transport improvements in the Leeds area.

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