HEALTH chiefs and community leaders today vented their frustration over a series of delays to major roadworks outside the Western General Hospital.
The work to replace gas mains on Crewe Road South has caused disruption for motorists and bus passengers, as well as staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.
The £100,000 project started in early March, but was immediately hit by problems, an
d local residents claimed that workers were rarely on site.
A city council investigation concluded that Scotland Gas Networks was suffering from staff absences, although the company today disputed this. It said the delays were a result of "challenges" in locating the old gas mains beneath the road.
Following an initial complaint by local Labour councillor Lesley Hinds, council officials said the work would be finished by mid-April. This was later put back to May 11, but it is still not completed. The same area was also dug up by a utility firm last year, adding to local anger.
John Jack, director of facilities with NHS Lothian, said today: "We have raised with Scotland Gas Networks the lengthy period of time it has taken for the roadway to be properly reinstated, and the impact it is having on access to and from the Western General.
"Following our contact with Scotland Gas Networks, remedial action was taken on the south entrance from Crewe Road but work is still ongoing at the Porterfield Road entrance. We anticipate this being completed as soon as possible."
Before the roadworks at the south entrance were completed, two entries to the hospital were partially blocked, with parking restrictions and temporary traffic lights.
Local residents said this caused particular problems at the junction of Crewe Road South and the road leading to the oncology department.
For bus passengers, works at the Porterfield Road entrance affected the number 42 and 38 services.
Cllr Hinds said she would call on fellow councillors to push for more action against utility firms that fail to meet acceptable standards.
"They have to replace the pipes, but there doesn't seem to be any hurry to get the work done and get it finished on time.
We need more joined-up thinking, and perhaps we should speak to the Scottish Parliament about penalties (for utility companies]."
A spokeswoman for Scotland Gas Networks insisted there had been no "resourcing issues".
But she said: "This (project] has been extremely challenging for our engineers.
"We were replacing very old cast iron mains, and working off maps that have not been as accurate as they should have been."
The full article contains 435 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
