Additional Traffic Management Arrangements as of 17 March
Please find below a summary of additional traffic management arrangements to accommodate site investigations works and utility diversions outside the main area of works.
LOCALISED WORK SITES
The main construction works for the project are scheduled to be completed during 2022. There will be a requirement to undertake localised works at times on carriageways and footways to install equipment to support the new tram line including tram communication systems, tram stop fit outs, the installation of overhead line equipment, street lighting, and traffic signalling. Localised traffic management and pedestrian diversions will be in place as required with any changes being communicated in advance.
- York Place to London Road
- Leith Walk
- Foot of the Walk to Ocean Drive
- Ocean Drive to Newhaven
- Footway works
YORK PLACE TO LONDON ROAD
UPDATE: York Place
The decommissioning and removal of the temporary tram stop at York Place is now complete. The creation of the new tram stop at Picardy Place will begin in Spring 2022.Trams are currently running from the Edinburgh Airport to West End until April 2022 and thereafter to St Andrew Square, until the new stop at Picardy Place becomes operational when the line to Newhaven opens in Spring 2023. Tram service updates are available from .
Read more about construction works at York Place
York Place to London Road
Works continue to connect the existing tram line with track works across the Broughton Street / Picardy Lane junction and are scheduled to be completed by May 2022.
The exit from Broughton Street to Picardy Place remains open. Access from Picardy Place to Broughton Street is not permitted. Diversion routes for vehicles remain in place via London Road, Leith Walk, Annandale Street, East London Street, East Broughton Street or via Leith Street, Princes Street, St Andrew Square, York Place, Broughton Street. Further diversions for buses and HGVs are in place.
Adjustments have been made to the traffic management in and around Picardy Place in order to improve traffic movements. A loading bay was reinstated on Union Street to support local businesses. This will remain under review in line with the required works associated to the project.
Read more about the diversion routes and view the traffic management plan (PDF)
LEITH WALK
Leith Walk - Cycleway Closure
Localised works will be ongoing on the cycle lane on the west side of Leith Walk. As a result, the cucle lane remains closed. Localised diversion routes remain in place until completion.
See the cycle diversion routes
London Road to Annandale Street: Works commenced w/c Monday 17 January. A temporary bus stop was established, located just off Elm Row. Visit for further information.
Site lines have been extended at Montgomery Street to accommodate the installation of drainage pipes with wider public realm works to follow. Expected duration is until approximately the end of Spring 2022.
Find out more and see the traffic management plan (PDF)
Gayfield Square
We have temporarily re-instated the one way system at Gayfield Square until works at York Place to London road have progressed enough to allow the completion of the section from London Road to Annandale Street.
Leith Walk - east side
From 2 February traffic management was moved to the new road surface on the west side from Jane Street to London Road. The main diversion routes for phase 2 of Leith Walk works are via Easter Road / Bonnington Road.
Due to Scottish Water emergency works at Albert Street, the planned left turn off Leith Walk into Albert Street was suspended. A left hand turn from Leith Walk to Dalmeny Street using temporary traffic lights is in place to accommodate localised access. This will not be suitable for HGVs.
Pilrig Street is reopened with access/egress reintroduced heading south.
Iona Street and Lorne Street are closed at their junctions with Leith Walk with diversions in place:
Springfield Street is now open to city bound traffic.
Waiting areas: waiting areas for customers of businesses on Leith Walk have been created at Iona Street and Pilrig Street. Further waiting spaces are available on the west side of Leith Walk north of Annandale Street, Pilrig Street and south of Springfield Street.
Find out more about these works and view the traffic management plans
Foot of the Walk to Crown Street
In late 2021, site lines were extended from Jane Street to Kirk Street to begin utility clearance and tram infrastructure works.
Vehicle access to Kirk Street / Cassels Lane & Casselbank Street will be maintained from Leith Walk for southbound traffic only in the form of a right turn to Kirk Street. Exiting from the above areas will be maintained via Kirk Street with a right turn onto southbound traffic on to Leith Walk. Additionally, there will be a left turn on to Great Junction Street. There is no access on to Duke Street. Drivers wishing to access Easter Road, Lochend Road and Vanburgh Place should use Manderston Street.
All parking and loading provision will be temporarily suspended between Kirk Street and Cassels Lane with no on street parking or loading facilities available on the running lane under the project’s Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO).
Foot of the Walk – Temporary Traffic Lights
The carriage way at the Foot of the Walk junction was reduced to one lane traffic, controlled by temporary traffic lights. These arrangements are expected to be in place until Winter 2021/22.
UPDATE: In order to connect the new tram route at the Foot of the Walk, Constitution Street to Leith Walk we are required to install new traffic managements at the FoTW junction. Further details will become available in due course.
FOOT OF THE WALK TO OCEAN DRIVE
Laurie Street to Coatfield Lane
Access to and from Coatfield Lane for local access only is via Laurie Street and Constitution Street on a 2 way temporary traffic light control for north and south bound traffic.
On the weekend of the 12 March traffic management arrangements between Laurie Street and Coatfield Lane moved to the east side of Constitution Street.
Coatfield Lane to Queen Charlotte Street
Main construction commenced on 26 January. Constitution Street is closed both northbound and southbound between Coatfield Lane and Queen Charlotte Street. No access will be provided at these closure points for any vehicular traffic including bicycles. Loading bays will be available on Queen Charlotte Street.
The Queen Charlotte Street junction remains open under 2-way temporary traffic management for east and west bound traffic with traffic being flipped to the north side of the junction. This is expected to be in place until approximately mid-April, there after a full closure at the junction will be implemented. To maintain traffic flow in the area the junction of Maritime Street at Bernard Street (by Café Marmalade) will open one way heading south.
The pedestrian crossing on Queen Charlotte Street at the junction of Constitution Street is closed with a localised diversion in place.
Bernard Street – Traffic Management Changes
Late October 2021 works began on Bernard Street for the installation of attenuation pipes. To facilitate the works there have also been slight adjustments to the traffic flow in the area and parking restrictions have been put in place on Maritime Street at the closure. Expected completion is April 2022 at which point landscaping works will start.
Constitution Street - Constitution Place to Tower Street
This section has opened to traffic travelling in both directions from Baltic Street through to Ocean Drive at Rennie’s Isle/Victoria Bridge. There will be no parking, loading or stopping.
Tower Street:
In January 2022 the site was extended to the north side of the carriage way to facilitate the next phase of the attenuation pipes/drainage system works. Access to Tower Street from Constitution Street remains closed with local access being maintained for residential private parking. Parking restrictions also remain in place on Tower Street. Parking on the Shore has been reinstated up to the corner of the Shore/Tower Street.
OCEAN DRIVE TO NEWHAVEN
Stevedore Place
UPDATE: To progress with associated tram works, traffic management arrangements at Ocead Drive/Stevedore Place will be adjusted. Pedestrian access will be maintained with diversions in place. Read more and view the traffic management plans.
UPDATE: Landscaping works are expected to commence on the north of Ocean Drive from week commencing 21 March. These will require localised traffic management on the carriageway at times and are scheduled to take between two to three weeks to complete.
Please note a further temporary road closure will be undertaken on Thursday 24 March between the hours of 7pm and 10pm to accommodate a further rail delivery to site. Read more about this road closure.
Rennie’s Isle to Tower Place
Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) foundation works are ongoing on the north side of Ocean Drive. Once completed, works will move to the south side which will require enabling works to create walkways and localised access to the Queen’s Quay development.
Works have commenced between Rennie’s Isle to Tower Place and are scheduled to be completed by Autumn 2022. Vehicle access to Tower Place, Forth Ports, Stevedore Place, Constitution Place and Tower Street Industrial Estate will be via Commercial Street / Bernard Street, and onto Constitution Street. Vehicle access to the Cala Development and the entrance to Rennie’s Isle from the west is provided via Ocean Terminal on Ocean Drive.
Localised access to the Queens Quay Developments remains in place. A pedestrian diversion will be in place via Tower Place and the Victoria Swing Bridge for pedestrians travelling east and west. Additionally, as part of this site establishment Tower Bridge will be closed to pedestrians to allow structural works to be undertaken
Rennie’s Isle to Ocean Terminal
Three way traffic lights are currently in place adjacent to the CALA Developments. These arrangements are expected to be in place until early Spring 2022.
Victoria Bridge remains open to pedestrians and this section is expected to be complete and open to traffic in March 2022. Vehicle access to the Cala Development and the entrance to Rennie’s Isle from the west is provided via Ocean Terminal on Ocean Drive.
View the traffic management plans.
Melrose Drive
Construction works are ongoing on the south roundabout on Ocean Drive to Melrose Drive. Pedestrian access is maintained, although may change at times throughout the phasing of works. Bus stops currently situated on Melrose Drive will be relocated to the west of Ocean Terminal.
Lindsay Road
Parking restrictions are in place on Lindsay Road with traffic now on the north lane to enable south lane carriageway construction and the continuation of associated tram works. These arrangements are expected to last four to six weeks ahead of two-way traffic being reinstated on Lindsay Road, expected to be in April 2022.
FOOTWAY WORKS
Picardy Place
The crossing point at Picardy Place, near Edinburgh Playhouse, moved further north on w/c 7 March 22. This is to progress main infrastructure works in the area.
Elm Row
Hard landscaping works on the footway started from w/c 28 February with an extension of site lines towards properties. Access is maintained via temporary walkways. Duration will be approximately 4 weeks. On completion of these works, further foot way works will be undertaken on the foot ways in the area. Access to properties will be maintained.
Leith Walk west side
Main construction works are scheduled to be completed during 2022.
As these works finish in sections and areas begin to open up, there will be a requirement to undertake localised works on carriage ways and footways. Localised traffic management and pedestrian diversions will be in place as required.
Jane Street
The Scottish Water diversion works are now complete in the area which will enable the continuation of the foot way and cycleway works in the area. From 23 March footways in this area will be reduced whilst these works are being carried out. Estimated duration is approximately 4 weeks.
Constitution Street at Laurie Street - Footpath Closure
The footway on the west side between Foot of the Walk and Laurie Street is currently closed. Pedestrian access is maintained on the east side.
Please note there may be a requirement to close this footway in the coming month to progress tram stop works. Pedestrian diversions will be required with further details to be communicated.
Laurie Street to Coatfield Lane: hard landscaping works
Following the traffic management flip to the east side of Constitution Street, hard landscaping, OLE and SLPC wall works will commence.
Baltic Street to Queen Charlotte Street
The fence lines between Maritime / Mitchell Street and south of the Bernard / Baltic junction on Constitution Street were removed. However, further system infrastructure works are required. To accommodate these we will re-establish site, with works expected to take approximately 4 to 6 weeks. In addition we will undertake localised footway works to install equipment to support the new tram line. These will be carried out using small, localised temporary worksites. Further updates to follow in the coming weeks across the projects communication channels.
Lindsay Road / Melrose Drive Residential Development between works sites
From week commencing 21 February 2022 there will be localised works required on the footways. These works are expected to be in place for approximately 4 weeks from the date of installation. Access to properties will be maintained via temporary walkways.