Storm Henry: Leeds city centre diversions back in place due to strong winds

Diversions are in place in Leeds city centre after the roads around Bridgewater Place were once again closed to high-sided vehicles today.
Bridgewater Place.Bridgewater Place.
Bridgewater Place.

Leeds City Council has stated that restrictions around the city’s tallest building are back in place until at least 4pm due to strong winds.

A full closure to traffic is not expected but the local authority is monitoring conditions following 48 hours of changeable conditions linked to Storm Henry.

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Meanwhile the council has announced that Aberford Road, in Woodlesford, has closed in both directions because of an “unsafe building damaged by winds”.

Concerns over safety at Bridgewater Place have repeatedly forced city council bosses to shut streets surrounding it.

The area around the base of the 112 metre-high building south of the city centre can be gripped by the wind tunnel effect during stormy weather.

Pedestrian Edward Slaney, from Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, was crushed to death by a truck that was blown off its wheels close to the building in 2011.

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We revealed last month that work has finally begun on a scheme designed to ease the wind tunnel effect at the skyscraper.

BT Openreach engineers will carry out three months of work on underground cabling before construction of a wind-deflecting system of large-scale barriers and screens gets underway in April.