Leeds - Richmond Bridge opening date ?

[Ross Spur]

I've drawn a blank on this one on the internet, just one reference on the Google search to "about 2004" but the website it linked to is now down. It's shown on the OS 1:50000 2004 map. Just wondering if anyone can shine any more light on it, and whether Richmond Bridge is it's official name. Any maps for 2002 or 2003 showing the position, articles or bridge plaque photos (if any) would help.

It was the River Aire Crossing on stage 7a of Leeds Inner Ring Road.

Stage 6, the Marsh Lane deviation to East Street was opened in 1999 per Hansard. The final stage 7b linking Richmond Bridge to M621 J4 Hunslet Interchange opened in October 2008.

[tom66]

It's still visible as a completed bridge, without the flyover, on Google Earth Pro around December 2002, so couldn't be 2004. It's difficult to tell if the bridge was replaced when the flyover was added, but it seems unlikely. (In fact, it looks a bit as if it was designed to accommodate the addition of the flyover, which is nice forward planning if true.)

[Alderpoint]

I've drawn a blank on this one on the internet, just one reference on the Google search to "about 2004" but the website it linked to is now down.

Google's cached view of the website says:

Richmond Bridge
A61 over River Aire, Leeds
Grid Ref SE 313 323 Date of Construction 2004-05

Richmond Bridge was built around 2004 as part of Stage 7A of the Leeds Inner Ring Road.

The bridge superseded the old South Accommodation Road bridge , a steel bow-string arch with a characteristic transverse stiffening girder across the carriageway at the crown of the arch.

Richmond bridge is a steel plate girder and reinforced concrete composite deck designed for 37.5 units of HB loading. (Crown Point Bridge, next upstream, was designed for 45 units HB). Abutments are of reinforced concrete on piled foundations.

The road alignment over the bridge was arranged to accommodate Hunslet Viaduct (re-named John Smeaton Viaduct) and the slip roads between the Inner Ring Road and Atkinson Street.

Abutments are of reinforced concrete on piled foundations.

The bridge was designed by Dr. Aaron Okorie C.Eng., M.I.C.E. under my direction as Chief Engineer Bridges for Leeds City Council.

[Chris5156]

It's still visible as a completed bridge, without the flyover, on Google Earth Pro around December 2002, so couldn't be 2004. It's difficult to tell if the bridge was replaced when the flyover was added, but it seems unlikely. (In fact, it looks a bit as if it was designed to accommodate the addition of the flyover, which is nice forward planning if true.)

I can’t recall dates - somewhere in the window 2002 to 2004 would be correct, I’m sure - but I do very clearly remember the bridge being rebuilt in its current form and existing for several years with clear space in the middle to accommodate the future flyover. That was the reason it was rebuilt, I think, since there had been a bridge on that site before.

[Owain]

I've asked a colleague who seems to know everything about every building in Leeds city centre. However, the name 'Richmond Bridge' meant nothing to him; while the bridge might be called that officially, it doesn't seem to be a name that gets much use!

[The Deuce]

I can see a plaque here https://goo.gl/maps/SMCxv65VdHyNqW6q8

City of Leeds
Richmond Bridge

[wrinkly]

I can see a plaque here https://goo.gl/maps/SMCxv65VdHyNqW6q8

City of Leeds
Richmond Bridge

Looks an old-fashioned font - perhaps transferred from the previous bridge on the same site?

Sadly I have no particular memories of that bridge.

[the cheesecake man]

I've asked a colleague who seems to know everything about every building in Leeds city centre. However, the name 'Richmond Bridge' meant nothing to him; while the bridge might be called that officially, it doesn't seem to be a name that gets much use!

OS calls the area Richmond Hill:

rh.png (204.65 KiB) Viewed 3090 times

This is presumably relevant to the name, but doesn't mean anyone ever actually calls the place Richmond Hill, just like nobody would recognise the name Elm Tree Hill for the location always referred to as Manor Top:

eth.png (203.85 KiB) Viewed 3090 times

and I don't think the name Little Sheffield (once a hamlet where the main road south from Sheffield crossed the Rover Porter) has been used for around 200 years:

ls.png (191.5 KiB) Viewed 3090 times

[Owain]

I've asked a colleague who seems to know everything about every building in Leeds city centre. However, the name 'Richmond Bridge' meant nothing to him; while the bridge might be called that officially, it doesn't seem to be a name that gets much use!

OS calls the area Richmond Hill:
rh.png
This is presumably relevant to the name, but doesn't mean anyone ever actually calls the place Richmond Hill...

That makes sense. When I first moved to Leeds, I lived in an apartment in one of the two modern towers right next to the A61/A63 junction. Walking away from the A61, the back streets did rise noticeably towards the point marked on your map as Richmond Hill. I don't recall anything that looked like a hill, but that doesn't mean that locals wouldn't call it that. Unfortunately the only local people I know are a couple who live near me now... on the other side of the city!

[wrinkly]

OS calls the area Richmond Hill:
rh.png
This is presumably relevant to the name, but doesn't mean anyone ever actually calls the place Richmond Hill,

OSM and/or Google Maps show a Richmond Hill Approach, Richmond Hill Court, Richmond Hill Academy, Richmond Hill Community Centre and Richmond Street in the vicinity, which suggests the name is not unknown there.