Busy Edinburgh road and popular 'rat-run' Ladywell Avenue closed until August 2026 due to rail bridge works

Ladywell Avenue, between Kirklands and Broomhall Crescent, was closed to traffic on Thursday, August 21, with a sign stating the road will be closed for 44 weeks, which would take the closure until June next year.

However, the City of Edinburgh Council’s online road closures list states that the road will be closed to traffic until “August, 2026”.

Ladywell Avenue was closed to traffic on Thursday, August 21, and is due to remain closed until August next year. | National World

Network Rail is carrying out rail bridge works at the ‘back road’ linking Forrester Park and Broomhall in the west side of the city, with the current rail bridge there expected to be replaced during the lengthy works.

The road is also popular with schoolkids heading to Forrester and St Augustine’s High Schools, although the road currently remains open to pedestrians.

Closed between Kirklands and Broomhall Crescent, Ladywell Avenue is still open to pedestrians. | National World

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Some locals vented their anger at the length of the road closure, with one commenting on the Corstorphine Chat Facebook page: “They take longer and longer to get any work done that affects traffic.”

Another local asked: “Why does it take so long?” While another said: “Oh man that’s a long time.”

And one local resident commented: “Will stop the rat running at least.”