LEITH WALK is to be made a one-way street as part of the latest batch of trams roadworks. The temporary move means traffic will be able to travel southbound on Leith Walk, but northbound vehicles will be diverted on to Easter Road.
Tram firm TIE today said it was still deciding if the whole street or just sections of Leith Walk would be made one-way, but it is understood the works will get under way in July and last up to four weeks.
The road needs to be reduced to one side
because engineers need to work on moving utility services which cross the road rather than travel vertically. TIE said it was still finalising the details of the diversions but was aiming to keep disruption to a minimum.
Traders today predicted the move will bring even more misery for businesses on Leith Walk as well as creating gridlock on Easter Road, which will have to cope with dozens of extra buses.
Gordon Burgess, a spokesman for the newly-formed Leith Walk and Constitution Street Traders Association, said: "It is just going to be another problem on top of the countless others.
"Again the problem is with communication. Little bits of information like this are slipping out but without the detail, and we need to be able to plan for things like deliveries.
"There is no doubt this will have a major impact in Leith and it is not something we can sustain over a long period of time."
Another problem drivers and shoppers are having to contend with is the partial closure of Constitution Street, which is not due to reopen until September.
Around 80 businesses and 2000 residents are affected by these diversions, though it is thought at least double that will be affected by making Leith Walk one-way. Duke Street is scheduled to return to two-way traffic in early July.
Bill Campbell, Lothian Buses operations director said: "Many of our bus services currently use Leith Walk and we also operate services on Easter Road.
"A closure of Leith Walk in either direction is bound to cause some disruption. We are, however, confident that with careful diversion planning, as has been achieved with the closure of Shandwick Place, we can minimise these delays."
Leith Walk has been one of the worst-affected streets during work on the £508 million tram line, with traders claiming they are losing thousand of pounds of business due to the disruption.
Last week, council leader Jenny Dawe ordered officials to investigate the possibility of offering 100 per cent rate rebates to some businesses to boost the current deal, which only provides average compensation of 20 per cent.
A spokeswoman for TIE said the company was working with all of its stakeholders to finalise the programme for Leith Walk's one-way system, and added it would try to keep disruption to a minimum.
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