Road alert for drivers over £13m flood works

This week work begins to install two additional culverts on Ings Beck to increase capacity under Westgate at Maudeline Bridge.

At present, the structure is too small to carry the flow of water during a flood and part of the culvert's roof is so damaged that it could collapse.

The Environment Agency scheme will help to reduce the risk of flooding to more than 700 homes and businesses from Ings Beck, as well as cutting the flood risk from other watercourses, including the River Calder, Balne Beck and Alverthorpe Beck.

Ings Beck is a tributary of the River Calder and flows through Alverthorpe and Wrenthorpe before discharging into the Calder in central Wakefield.

The latest phase of the work is expected to be completed by autumn 2011 with a two-week break over the Christmas and New Year period.

After the work resumes in January, in-bound traffic along Westgate will be diverted onto Brooks Bank, which will be closed to other traffic.

Pedestrian routes along Morton Parade also will be diverted.

"With a scheme this size, some disruption is inevitable but our contractors will do their best to minimise this," said Environment Agency project manager Sally Leng.

Four properties standing in Westgate over the damaged section of culvert had to be demolished earlier this year before the next stage of work could start and some utility services have had to be diverted.

The agency has also strengthened flood walls to protect homes in Wrenthorpe and is modifying a nearby water storage area to hold flood water.

Wakefield's flooding is mainly due to modifications to the river which once provided power and transport for industry.