Edinburgh is facing another road diversion for eight months, to allow for a new cycling lane to be built on Haymarket Terrace as it closed. The busy road has been closed yesterday one way only (April 2) and an Eastbound diversion will remain in place for eight months.
The works being completed are part of the £19.4 million City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) cycling and walking route, and should end in November 2023. The route will link Roseburn and Leith Walk with a direct cycle lane, passing through Haymarket and the West End.
The new diversion will take commuters through via Magdala Crescent, Eglinton Crescent, Palmerston Place, Lansdowne Crescent and Grosvenor Street, with temporary bus stops added along the way. However, travellers are still said to take possible delays and congestion into account when going through the diversion.
What is more, the initial phase of the construction in Roseburn has proven to cause profit losses to local shops and businesses, and the roadworks there are expected to last until January 2024. The lengthy process is due to the diversion of a gas main that is completed by the gas company SGN.
Due to Haymarket Terrace being closed, Haymarket taxi rank will be removed and the locations of the temporary bus stops can be found on the Lothian Buses website.
Transport convener Scott Arthur said: “In consultation with Lothian Buses, we’ve worked closely with SGN to make sure these two major projects are carried out together to reduce disruption as much as we can for residents, visitors and people travelling through the area. CCWEL is a landmark scheme for the city, providing a safe, welcoming route for all those travelling from the east to west by foot, wheel or bike, as well as transforming public spaces along the way to help support local businesses.”
SGN project manger Matthew Ferguson said: “Carrying out our gas main diversion and renewal work at this time will both allow the CCWEL project to progress and reduce disruption for the local community and commuters in future. Our work involves replacing our existing metal gas pipes with new plastic pipe, which will ensure a continued safe and reliable gas supply to the local area for many years to come.”