City Centre Construction Update 7 September 2024

Welcome to the weekly e-newsletter for the Bradford City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme.

This edition includes everything you need to know about the Bradford City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme for the coming days. We upload each weekly newsletter to the Future Bradford website. You can find copies of each e-newsletter on our news page if you would like to look back at previous editions.

Ongoing progress in the city centre

We continue to re-open more areas of the city centre where paving works have been completed.

This week, a large area of paving has been laid on Broadway, between Landmark House and Britannia House between the new planter structures. This area will soon be open to pedestrians once works on the planters allow the space to do so.

Further progress has been made at the southern end of Market Street, where new paving is being completed in the pedestrian areas on the east side, around the ground level planter areas

Two images show newly laid paving on Broadway. A large pedestrian space can be seen in both images from different angles, between Landmark House and Britannia House.

As shared in last week's e-newsletter, a period of overnight works started on Monday 2 September on the inbound section of Leeds Road, near the Broadway Shopping Centre. This work will facilitate the realignment of a kerb line to widen areas for the new cycleway.

The period of overnight works was expected to be completed by the following Monday (9 September). However, the works may continue beyond this date for the rest of the week. This is due to difficulties encountered by the site team in working around other underground utility services.

Please note that this work is taking place overnight to avoid disruption to bus routes during the day. Access to the Broadway car park will still be possible, however there will be a short diversion in place from 11:30pm to 5:00am each day.

See image to the left for the diversion route.

Map showing the section of Leeds Road which will be closed between 11:30pm to 5:00am from 2 September for a week (red line shows closure). The diversion route is shown in yellow. Vehicles are permitted to travel down Bridge Street onto Drake Street to access the Broadway car park. George Street and Vicar Lane can be used to exit Leeds Road towards Croft Street.

Reminder: Upcoming change to the permitted service and residential vehicles route

The route into the core of the city centre for permitted service and residential vehicles has seen a slight change. The new route, which came into effect Tuesday 3 September, has seen the entry point moved from Bridge Street to Bank Street via Leeds Road and Hall Ings.

Permitted service and residential vehicles have access to the core during the permitted hours of before 10:30am and after 4:30pm via the one-way system, entering via gate B (from Leeds Road) and exiting via gate A (towards Cheapside). This route is shown via the green line on the below map.

Construction traffic have continual access to the core and are able to enter the core from all access gates.

We would like to remind road users that the access route is currently operating a 7.5 tonne weight restriction for vehicles.

See below for a map that shows the new route.

Map showing the new route that permitted service and residential vehicles must follow to access the city centre core between permitted hours, which is any time before 10:30am and any time after 4:30pm each day.

Reminder: Bridge Street Taxi ranks

Due to works happening in front of the main entrance to Bradford Interchange, the taxi ranks have been relocated to Drake Street and behind the Great Victoria Hotel.

There is temporary signage in place to direct people to the new ranks from their previous location.

If you have any questions about getting around the city centre, please do contact us via email at info@future-bradford.co.uk, or by calling our freephone information line at 0808 196 9119.

Reminder: Temporary pedestrian crossings

Temporary pedestrian crossings have been opened across the city centre in places where works are happening.

Please note that the pedestrian route on the south side of Hall Ings is still temporarily diverted to the north side of Hall Ings to allow work on the new footway to continue between the junctions with Vicar Lane and Drake Street.

We have included a map of the pedestrian crossing points in the core of the city centre below.

Please note that starting from this week, some changes have been made to crossing points along Bridge Street. These crossings have been moved to the Market Street and Broadway junctions, with one of the previous three crossing points removed at the Hall Ings junction. This is necessary to provide access to construction work in this area.

Map showing the pedestrian crossing points in Bradford city centre. Crossings are in place at the following locations. Market Street, at the junctions with Charles Street - Bank Street and Bridge Street - On Hall Ings at the junction with Bank Street - Bridge Street at the junction with Broadway.

Traffic management outside the core of the city centre has been and will continue to be removed where possible, as work has begun within the very core of the city centre. See below for a detailed summary of the latest updates about the works taking place around the city centre. If you would like to view any maps relating to where work is taking place, please click here.
Please do get in touch with us via our email address (info@future-bradford.co.uk) if you have any questions about the works taking place throughout the city centre.
On Sunbridge Road, city centre scheme works are complete. Cycle Superhighway works are still taking place in this area. This work has provided wider footpaths and introduced cycle lanes. New bus shelters have also been put in place for bus routes travelling out of the city centre.
Click here for more details on Sunbridge Road.
What: Works are continuing on the new central reservation on Godwin Street between Thornton Road and Jacobs Well.
Traffic management: Little Horton Lane is closed to all traffic at its junction with Godwin Street. Traffic travelling in either direction on Godwin Street is not permitted to use the new pedestrian super crossing to make a U-turn.
Why: This change will provide more space for bus stops and routes into the city and an additional bus lane on Godwin Street.
Click here for more details on Westgate and Godwin Street.
What: At Jacobs Well, works are continuing within and around the former roundabout.
Traffic management: There will continue to be lane closures and traffic management around Jacobs Well.
Why: This work has seen Jacobs Well roundabout become a super crossing.
Click here for more details on Jacobs Well, Prince’s Way and City Park.
What: Work is mostly complete on Croft Street and Senior Way and the new lanes are open to traffic. Works to install the new cycleway and central reserve are nearing completion on Manchester Road.
Traffic management: Lane closures will continue on Manchester Road northbound from Croft Street to Jacobs Well.
Why: The works here are to create an additional lane on the gyratory section of Croft Street in each direction and a new cycleway on Manchester Road.
Click here for more details on Senior Way, Croft Street and Manchester Road.
What: We are nearing completion of works on both sides of Lower Kirkgate, to construct a new cycleway and footway.
Traffic management: Traffic management has been installed with two-way traffic lights on the section of Lower Kirkgate between the Midland Hotel and the junction with Cheapside, Market Street, and Kirkgate. Market Street is now closed to traffic at its junction with Kirkgate/Lower Kirkgate/Cheapside.
There is a temporary signal-controlled pedestrian crossing point in place at the junction of Kirkgate/Lower Kirkgate/Cheapside/Market Street. This is in place to ensure that pedestrians have a safe place to cross the road. Safe pedestrian routes away from the main road and works happening in this area are also in place. Signs are in place to help direct pedestrians along this route to avoid traffic on the main road.
Why: The works here are to widen the junction to Canal Road, to allow for improved cycle lane provision, and build a new bus shelter.
This work will also create a new crossing link into the city centre at Cheapside.
Click here for more details on Lower Kirkgate.
What: The installation of new drainage, kerbs and new carriageway, cycleway and footways will continue on Hall Ings.
Traffic management: Well Street and the section of Vicar Lane between Great Cross Street and Hall Ings is only open to buses and authorised traffic and the new Cyclops junction at Well Street/Vicar Lane/Hall Ings/Leeds Road is now operational. Hall Ings will continue to be reduced to one lane of traffic westbound between the junction with George Street and the junction with Drake Street.
Why: The work on Well Street will re-open the road as a bus route, the work on Vicar Lane, allowing for, allowing for the reconnection of Vicar Lane to Hall Ings, with a new ‘CYCLOPS’ junction being introduced.
If you would like more information about what is happening across the city centre, including maps showing how the city is being transformed, please visit the FutureBradford website.
Click here for more details on Lower Kirkgate.

Reminder: temporary closure of the Bradford Interchange bus station

Information about alternative bus stops for services unable to use the Interchange Bus Station can be found on the Metro website. You can read the Combined Authority's latest update on the closure of the Bradford Interchange Bus Station on their website.