Major Edinburgh city centre road Waterloo Place to close for three months for sewer works
Essential repairs to be carried out in Edinburgh city centre
A major city centre road is to partially close for three months while a £3 million sewer upgrade is completed.
Scottish Water has announced it will be carrying out essential repairs to the water and wastewater network beneath Waterloo Place.
The utility company said it expected the city centre street to be shut off to westbound traffic between Calton Hill and Leith Street for about 11 weeks from September 7. The eastbound lane will remain open to traffic during this time.
This partial closure will allow work to strengthen an existing manhole and the surrounding ground, as well as installing a new section of sewer pipe underground using specialist equipment.
The works will also include diverting and upgrading a 130-year-old 12-inch cast iron water main with around 25 metres of new pipeline.
A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: “We are investing £3m to upgrade and repair the sewer and water network that lies beneath Waterloo Place in Edinburgh.
“This will involve the closure of the westbound carriageway on Waterloo Place to allow us to carry out the work safely.
“We expect this work to take approximately 11 weeks to complete. Mackenzie Construction will be carrying out this work on our behalf.”
The works include repairs on other sections of the sewer through a patch-lining process, as well as the cleaning of the sewer.
This section of sewer runs close to multiple other underground services, meaning that the work is complex and must be carried out safely, which has led to this 11-week partial road closure.
The spokesperson said that the £3m investment was made after a collapse was discovered beneath the road surface during routine CCTV inspections.
Adding: “By carrying out these repairs we can reduce the risk of sewer flooding and protect homes, business and local infrastructure from potential future damage.
“As well as repairing the collapsed section of sewer, we are also strengthening the surrounding infrastructure which will improve the long-term resilience of the network.
“While we appreciate the work is in a city centre location, we are using specialist techniques to minimise disruption and avoid digging up the entire length of road.
“Completing these repairs now will help ensure the network continues to reliably serve the city for many years to come.”
From Monday, September 7, the westbound carriageway on Waterloo Place will be closed to all traffic between Calton Hill and the junction with Leith Street. A diversion route for westbound traffic will be in place via London Road - Leith Street.
The eastbound carriageway will remain open throughout the works, and pedestrian access will also be in place for the duration of the repairs. All businesses on Waterloo Place will remain open as normal.