SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Everyone knows the famous Dragon Bridge on Whitehall Road, I think?Well someone has complained to the council and Network Rail via the YEP that the unusual and unique (as far as I know) wooden "brick" red and white barriers are "insufficient" and plans are afoot to replace them with something more modern.If you're out that way, take a good look as it seems they be replaced by something a lot more generic very soon....

Aye up Ravey old bean!! Do you mean the ones laid out on the road side? The old, what look like massive sleepers? I know the bridge well, but can't place the barriers you mean.

simonm wrote: Aye up Ravey old bean!! Do you mean the ones laid out on the road side? The old, what look like massive sleepers? I know the bridge well, but can't place the barriers you mean. Aye, thats them - the red and white ones.

Went past there a few weeks ago and some speed freak's car was perched atop of them. It was rocking back and forth like it were a see saw.I think they have got to the stage of being old and rotten and need replacing tbh. Not much of a barrier to stop vehicles from plowing through the corrugated sheeting onto the tracks below. Wouldn't be surprised if they replace the bridge altogether at some stage. It needs it.

I think they've been wiped out twice in about 12 months now. The original one disappeared altogether leaving a couple of very long nails sticking up but the replacement has now been hit too.I wonder due to it being road over rail rather than the other way round if the council are responsible for its maintenance (or lack of would be more appropriate). Both sides look as if one good whack would send the entire metal bit onto the tracks below.There's also the one on Tong road with the lovely corrugated side (looks rather worryingly like asbestos sheet to me) that they've put some form of barrier on between the path and road presumably for the same reason.

Lots of road over rail bridges have been replaced, refurbished or had additional barriers added in the last year or two.I can only guess it may be down to new legislation / guidelines following Great Heck a few years ago.Certainly the bridge on the M621 over the Leeds 'uddersfield line has been strengthened, with the work to do it seeming to take ages.

Drove over Dragon Bend tonight (24/4), notice that the old sleepers have been replaced with a rather large ugly concrete structure. Looks awful!

Hi there,I work for the Council and me and a workmate put the original timbers on the footpath about 20 years ago.We used 2 timber Baulks and pinned them to the ground using metal rods,believe it or not they weren't permanently fixed.The reason they weren't permanent was because they were only temporary until proper barriers could be fitted.

martino wrote: Hi there,I work for the Council and me and a workmate put the original timbers on the footpath about 20 years ago.We used 2 timber Baulks and pinned them to the ground using metal rods,believe it or not they weren't permanently fixed.The reason they weren't permanent was because they were only temporary until proper barriers could be fitted. That is a great story - I guess we've had our monies worth out of them then!

Tell you what I like about it all, is that the idea of it being temporary. 20 years being temp is a cracking thought..