More trams upheaval as drivers face new routes

DRIVERS and bus passengers in the city centre are facing more upheaval when the West End traffic diversions for the tram project change tomorrow.

All traffic heading north on Lothian Road will be sent along Hope Street and around Charlotte Square instead of turning right into Princes Street. Southbound Lothian Road traffic will not be affected.

The alterations to the route come as utility work enters its next phase. It has also been revealed that the junction of Princes Street and The Mound/Hanover Street will have to be closed for several weeks next year.

Elsewhere in the city, utility diversion work at the roundabout at the top of Leith Walk has been set for the start of June.

The diversions in the West End have widely been regarded as a success and transport chiefs today said they were confident this would continue to be the case.

The Evening News revealed the full programme of tram work yesterday, including the closure of Princes Street for the first seven months of next year.

Willie Gallagher, executive chairman of TIE, said: "I think we have shown in the diversions so far that a lot of work has gone into the planning of these things and this latest phase is no different.

"It is not feasible for us to completely close some of these key junctions so we have to work around them and I am confident that this will work as well.

"There has been a lot of work put in with the likes of Lothian Buses to try and make sure everything runs smoothly."

Tram bosses have also extended the hours of working for contractors to 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, which they say is in response to the wishes of Edinburgh's business community.

Bill Campbell, Lothian Buses' operations director, said: "We are confident that the changes to buses travelling from Lothian Road to Princes Street will be implemented successfully and will cause minimal inconvenience to bus passengers."

A four-month project to divert utilities at the London Road/Leith Walk roundabout will get under way on June 2.

The work was meant to start this month but delays on the design for a tram interchange on nearby Picardy Place meant it is running behind schedule. The work will involve lane reductions on southbound Leith Walk traffic, while a contra flow will be in place for northbound traffic.

The Blenheim Place and Elm Row junctions with London Road will be closed, as will the Montgomery Street Junction with Leith Walk. However, diversions for all of these streets will be put in place.

Moves to 'shake off the dust'
A PIANO bar in the West End is to give customers the chance to "shake off the dust" of the tram utility works.

The Rat Pack, on Shandwick Place, is hosting a "Kitchen Caboodle" party night aimed at attracting people back to the area.

Everybody who attends will also receive a goodie bag filled with vouchers for West End stores, cafes and restaurants.

Rat Pack owner Marc Mowbray said: "We took the time offered to us by the tram upheaval to do some refurbishments to the club, and we'd originally planned these dates for a relaunch.

"But after all of the doom and gloom we've been hearing from the people in the area we thought they deserved a party, so we've subtitled our Kitchen Caboodle: Shake Off The Dust."

Organisers will be visiting traders in the area over the next few days trying to gather support.

Several businesses have hit out at a drop in custom since Shandwick Place was closed to traffic six weeks ago.

Michael Apter, chair of the West End Traders' Association, said: "I'm sure traders in the West End will be delighted to take part."