Emergency work underway on major Leeds road after it ‘buckled’ in soaring temperatures

Emergency work is being carried out on a major Leeds road which is thought to have buckled in the high temperature.

Leeds City Council said it is working to repair part of the road surface on the A647 Stanningley Bypass after responding to reports last night that the road had risen once its surface had started to cool down.

When the road was inspected, it was found that some of the large concrete panels which make up the road had expanded and caused a section to rise by up to six inches.

“Measures were quickly introduced including a lane closure and redirecting traffic as well as reducing speeds along the area of road concerned,” the council said.

The decision was taken to close the city-bound carriageways at 9:30am this morning to allow repairs to begin.”

The council said that “every effort” is being made to get the road reopened by 3:30pm for the start of the afternoon peak traffic and rush hour.

As a minimum it is expected that at least one lane of the city-bound carriageway will be open and the outbound access will be unaffected.

There is a short diversion route currently in effect at Henconner Lane slip road which rejoins the bypass off Bramley Town End roundabout.

Leeds City Council executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Cllr Richard Lewis said: “We are doing everything we can to get this road repaired and reopened before the afternoon rush begins. Our team responded very quickly last night and as a result of that, to our knowledge, there has been no damage to any vehicles. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of the current heatwave is the stress that it puts on our road surfaces.

“Unlike many other roads in Leeds, Stanningley carriageway is particularly vulnerable due to its method of construction using large concrete panels which expand when exposed to very high temperatures. In the meantime we are working tirelessly to minimise disruption to journeys and we thank everyone for their patience. With the hot spell expected to continue, we will be also keeping a very close eye on this stretch of road for the rest of the week.”