Long-running Edinburgh road closures facing drivers as city braces for disruption and travel chaos
Drivers in Edinburgh are facing months of travel chaos, with roadworks set to close several key routes across the city.
Works in Tollcross and Gorgie are expected to last for four months and six months respectively, cutting off busy roads to drivers and diverting a number of buses.
Elsewhere, Duddingston Low Road near Arthur’s Seat remains closed to drivers following rockfalls early last year. A planned 18-month project to increase public access only is expected to be announced in due course but a decision on whether vehicles will ever be able to return ‘has not yet been reached’.
And a section of the A702 will also close overnight between Sunday, February 15 and Saturday, March 7, for safety barrier works.
Gilmore Place
On January 19, a section of Gilmore Place near Tollcross closed to vehicles to allow for resurfacing works. The four-month project will be carried out in three stages, with phase one closing the road between Leven Street and Leamington Terrace. This is expected to remain closed until February 27.
Teams will then work their way westward with the project expected to be completed by May 1. Buses and heavy goods vehicles will be diverted along Colinton Road and smaller vehicles will be managed with localised diversions.
The road closure will affect Lothian Buses services 10 and 27 with several bus stop temporarily closed. These services, between Colinton Road and Home Street, will be diverted via Colinton Road and Bruntsfield Place in both directions.
Elsewhere, lane closures will be in place on Leven Street with temporary traffic lights at its junction with Gilmore Place. These works form part of the King’s Theatre redevelopment and the Meadows to Union Canal works. The works, which will improve pavements, cycle infrastructure and roads are estimated to be completed by mid-April. Valleyfield Street will remain closed ‘for the majority of the scheme’.
Gorgie Road
On Sunday (January 25) Gorgie Road, between Balgreen Road and Robb’s Loan will close to traffic for around six months as Scottish Water work to upgrade sewage overflow infrastructure near Saughton Park.
During the project, access to private driveways within the site will be maintained via a one-way temporary running lane.
Lothian Buses services 3, 25, 30, 33 N25, X27, X28, N28 and N30 will be affected during the length of the project. You can find all the diversions to bus services here.
Ethan Gillies Denning, senior project manager at Scottish Water, said: “We are acutely aware Gorgie Road is one of the key transport routes linking west Edinburgh with the city centre. As well as being home to Tynecastle stadium and close to Murrayfield, it is also home to thousands of residents, and crucial for local businesses, schools, universities and emergency services.
“But the road also sits above critical Victorian-era waste water infrastructure that helps protect homes and businesses during heavy rain. This project will significantly reduce sewer related debris entering the Water of Leith, supporting cleaner rivers and a healthier local environment for people and wildlife including otters.”