Road closures reminder for residents and businesses ahead of IRONMAN Leeds

The second IRONMAN Leeds triathlon is being held on Sunday (August 16) and will start and finish in Roundhay Park.

As was the case with last year’s inaugural event, a programme of temporary road closures will be put in place to help ensure the day passes off safely and smoothly.

And residents, businesses and visitors are being encouraged to check the arrangements in advance to see how their journeys and plans might be impacted.

The large scale of the event – which is being organised by the IRONMAN Group with support from Leeds City Council – means the road closures will be in force for much of Sunday.

Full details on timings, affected areas and vehicle crossing points are available on the IRONMAN website, while a live closures map can be found here.

Emergency service road access will be maintained throughout, while pedestrians will be able to cross the routes wherever and whenever it is safe to do so. 

People with enquiries regarding road access – including carers who need to carry out home visits – are asked to contact the IRONMAN team via leedsroadaccess@ironman.com. Enquiries about other IRONMAN-related matters should be e-mailed to leeds@ironman.com.

Every effort has been made to publicise the plans for the day, with around 60,000 information leaflets being distributed to local properties.

More than 100 businesses have also been sent direct e-mails with details about the event and how it might affect their staff and customers.

Leeds is one of only two places in the UK hosting a full IRONMAN challenge this year, with Pembrokeshire being the other. Last year’s edition in Leeds generated an estimated £7m for the economy.

Councillor Salma Arif, deputy leader of Leeds City Council and executive member for economy, said:

“Events like IRONMAN Leeds have helped establish our city as a key player on the national and international sporting stage, while also providing a welcome boost for the local economy.

“We recognise that the temporary road closures that are needed for the safe operation of an occasion on this scale will inevitably cause some disruption and we thank the public in advance for their patience and understanding.

“We would encourage people to make time, if they haven’t done so already, to check how the traffic and travel arrangements for Sunday could affect them.”

The circular route for IRONMAN Leeds’s bike stage runs from Roundhay Park to Shadwell and then goes through or near communities such as Thorner, Bardsey, Wike, Harewood, Eccup, Arthington, Adel and Alwoodley.

Roads affected by the closure programme required for this part of the event include:

• Carr Lane between Shadwell and Thorner (closed 6am to 3.30pm)
• Bramham Road and part of Thorner Road, both to the east of Thorner (closed 6am to 3.30pm)
• The A61 Harrogate Road between the A659 at Harewood and Wigton Approach, near the Grammar School at Leeds (closed 7am to 5.30pm)
• Alwoodley Lane between its junctions with King Lane and the A61 Harrogate Road (closed eastbound 7.30am to 5.30pm)
• Wigton Lane between its junctions with the A61 Harrogate Road and Wike Ridge Lane (closed eastbound 7.30am to 5.30pm)

The event’s run will follow a looped course around the western side of Roundhay Park and a number of residential streets in the wider Roundhay area.

Athletes are expected to start crossing the finishing line – which will be situated near the park’s cricket pavilion – at about 3pm.

Roads in Roundhay that will be closed for much of Sunday to facilitate both the run and general event access include Gledhow Avenue (between Lidgett Lane and Jackson Avenue), Jackson Avenue, Gledhow Lane (eastbound between Thorn Lane and Old Park Road), Old Park Road and the stretch of Street Lane between Devonshire Avenue and Princes Avenue. Park Avenue will be closed near the Lakeside Cafe from 6am on Saturday until 5pm on Monday (August 17).

Tropical World’s opening hours will change slightly on Sunday to 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3.30pm.

ENDS