Leith Street to be shut for 10 months as part of St James revamp

DEVELOPERS are set to shut Leith Street to traffic for ten months as part of the St James Centre redevelopment.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Mar 2017, 14:53 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 10:09 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Artist's Impression of how Leith Street will look once works are completeArtist's Impression of how Leith Street will look once works are complete
Artist's Impression of how Leith Street will look once works are complete

DOWNLOAD THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY

200 Voices: find out more about the people who have shaped Scotland

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The road will be closed between Calton Road and Waterloo Place from August 28 - to avoid festival season.

Those behind the scheme say the move is necessary to safely install new gas and water pipes - while the road will stay open to pedestrians, cyclists and emergency services.

“These works will allow us to reconfigure and renew the whole Leith Street corridor and help facilitate the wider regeneration in a way that minimises disruption for residents, businesses and the travelling public,” said developer TH Real Estate’s Martin Perry.

Work began on the £1bn project to revamp the St James shopping centre in October after a ten-year wait prolonged by recession, the independence referendum and Brexit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Scheduled to reopen in 2020, the new centre will create up to 3,000 jobs with 85 new shops, 20 restaurants, 150 flats and a cinema.

“By renewing and enhancing local infrastructure, we are also greatly reducing the requirement for future works and repairs, thereby minimising future disruption around the completed environment,” added Mr Perry.

Related topics:WorkScotlandEdinburgh