Britcon supports Leeds’ Dark Arches ahead of new station entrance

Britcon Engineering Services (BES) has completed the installation of structural steelwork to reinforce the Victorian Dark Arches of Leeds.

BES was awarded the £100k contract by Carillion

The £100,000 contract was awarded to BES by construction firm Carillion as part of preparatory works for the new southern entrance to Leeds Railway Station.

BES, which is the structural steelwork contractor division of Yorkshire & Lincolnshire based Britcon, provides design, supply, fabrication and installation of structural and bespoke steelwork for clients across all project sectors in the UK.

Carillion is managing the delivery of the new £20m Leeds Station Southern Entrance (LSSE) on behalf of Network Rail.

The project features an enclosed structure over the River Aire that incorporates lifts, escalators and stairs allowing passengers access from the current western footbridge within the station to ground level either side of the river.

BES were contracted to fabricate bespoke steel plate girders that were fixed to the underside of the existing Victorian arches to support the structure along Dark Neville Street.

The firm previously completed works underneath the adjacent Neville Street, Queens Hotel and the Bus and Taxi entrance canopy to the station.

Nick Evans, director at Britcon Engineering Services, said: “Leeds dark arches is a familiar place for BES given our previous work in providing necessary reinforcements. However it was a challenging job due to the confined nature of the site coupled with erecting the plate girders directly over the river. This required the design of a bespoke lifting frame to allow the girders to be moved down the arch, lifted and swung around into the correct position.”

The new southern entrance is expected to be ready before Christmas.