Southern Entrance scoops engineering award

Leeds Station�s recently-opened Southern Entrance has won an 'ICE' Yorkshire and Humber Civil Engineering Award.

The ICE Yorkshire and Humber Civil Engineering Awards recognise excellent and imaginative concepts in civil engineering practice across the Yorkshire and Humber region and the Centenary award is for projects �5m and over.

Welcoming the news, West Yorkshire Combined Authority Chair Cllr Peter Box said:

�This Centenary Award from the Institution of Civil Engineers is recognition of the excellent work by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority team and those of our partners Leeds City Council, Network Rail and the DfT to overcome the considerable challenges presented by building the impressive structure over the River Aire.

�Leeds Station Southern Entrance is now providing the growing numbers of commuters who work in the growing south of city centre with direct access to Granary Wharf and beyond. It is saving them up to 50 minutes on their weekly commute and will also relieve congestion at the existing tickets gates.

�Up to one fifth of the station�s 100,000 daily users are expected to benefit from the new �20m entrance. It has opened up access to an area that is already home to ASDA�s UK headquarters and the location of Eversheds, Ernst & Young and DWF�s regional HQs and a regeneration area which has attracted major new investment and with the potential to support over 30,000 jobs and 4,000 new homes.�

Read more about the project, and view a time-lapse video of the construction.

Announcing the shortlist in January, Awards Secretary Mark Duquemin said: "The standard of the nominations was high and we were really impressed by some of the great work that is happening in the region. I would like to thank all the nominees for taking the time to put forward an entry and helping to raise the profile of the profession."

With steps, escalators and a lift from its concourse deck over the River Aire, Leeds Station Southern Entrance provides a fully accessible route to the city�s Granary Wharf area adjacent to the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Customer information screens, ticket vending machines and automated ticket gates are located at the point where the new entrance meets the existing station footbridge.

Leeds Station Southern Entrance is a joint project between West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council, the Department for Transport and Network Rail. The �20m scheme secured �12.4m from DfT as well as funding from West Yorkshire's Local Transport Plan, Network Rail and Leeds City Council, and will be transferred to and managed by Network Rail as part of Leeds Station.