'Super crossing' in Bradford city centre now operational

The crossing across the busy A641/Princes Way, near the old Jacob’s Well roundabout, will link the park being created in the newly-pedestrianised Hall Ings with the city’s leisure quarter – which includes the Alhambra, National Science and Media Museum and Bradford Live.

As well as a traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossing, there is a dedicated cycle crossing area linking to a new cycle lane passing through the city centre.

The new super-crossing (Image: T&A)

The work is just one part of the £43m Government funded infrastructure scheme that will see numerous city centre streets closed to traffic.

One of these streets, Hall Ings, will become a park area – extending the existing Norfolk Gardens to cross the whole width of the street – from City Hall to The Bradford Hotel.

The super crossing is one aspect of the Transforming Cities Fund project that has been most altered since it was first revealed in late 2019.

The new super crossing (Image: T&A)

Originally the plan was for a traffic-free route from Hall Ings to the leisure quarter – with vehicles travelling through an underpass to avoid pedestrians.

But with the cost of the scheme rising due to inflation, transport bosses decided the cheaper super crossing option would replace this traffic underpass.

Planting will also take place next to the crossing.

The Jacob’s Well roundabout and the underpass were filled in last year as part of the city centre work.

The past week has also seen the majority of Bank Street, another street being pedestrianised as part of the works, opened up as sections of the work near completion.

Bank Street (Image: T&A)

Works are continuing in a small section near the Skipton Building Society building, with some fencing currently in place where new trees will be planted.

More new paving on Market Street continues to be laid down this week, and more planters have been installed on Bank Street, Bridge Street, and Broadway.

Meanwhile, works on the pedestrianised section of Hall Ings continue to make way for new kerbs to be installed.

It is becoming clearer what Hall Ings will look like once the work is completed, with the pedestrian pathways laid on areas that used to be dominated by traffic, and the space for future planting being laid out by contractors.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.