What will happen if Interchange repairs stretch into 2025?

With the City of Culture year appoaching, it has now emerged that talks have been ongoing behind the scenes to explore what sites might be suitable.

Bradford Interchange bus station has been closed since early January after a block of concrete from the structure collapsed into an underground car park.

Yesterday, transport bosses at West Yorkshire Combined Authority – which owns and operates the station, gave an update on what is being done to bring the interchange back into use.

The doors of the Bradford Interchange bus station (Image: T&A)

They revealed they were in talks to look at potential sites to house a temporary interchange during Bradford's City of Culture year should a survey on the existing facility reveal problems that may require a long programme of repairs.

A meeting of the Authority on Thursday, members were told that results of survey work being carried out on the structure of the Interchange should be revealed in the next few weeks.

A temporary bus layover is currently in operation at the Jacob’s Well car park, and buses begin and end their journeys at temporary stops scattered around the city centre.

Simon Warburton, Executive Director of Transport at the Combined Authority, said: “The Interchange is a significant and unusual structure, we have to be sure that it is safe to run 12 tonne vehicles over it.

“In the coming weeks, the survey work that is being done should bring some conclusions as to the scale of the work that will be needed to reinstate the facility.

“At that point we should be able to give members more details with regards to where we go next.

“We do recognise that an exceptional year lies ahead for us, and there is a lot of work intended to show Bradford in the best light for the City of Culture year.

“We’ve instigated a partnership with Council officers to consider alternative locations should it prove the work required means we’ll struggle to have the Interchange open again in time for 2025.”

Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “This has been a huge inconvenience and continues to be, particularly with the wet weather and no shelters at many of the temporary stops.

“It is not an ideal situation at all.”

She asked for the Combined Authority to communicate better with Bradford councillors on the Interchange issue.

She also urged the Authority to undertake a passenger survey to see how the current temporary arrangements could be improved.

Councillor Rebecca Poulsen, leader of the Conservatives on Bradford Council, said: “It sounds like there might be an update soon on the long-term options. Can a meeting with local councillors be set up as soon as possible?”

Officers said councillors would be informed once the new information is collected.