Princes Street tram work 'on track'

Published on Tuesday 11 August 2009 09:52

TRAM contractors will complete work on sections of Princes Street within weeks, it emerged today – but utility diversions elsewhere on the route look set for fresh delays.

Parts of Princes Street will be handed back to the city as early as 6 September after contractors moved ahead of schedule.

That could pave the way for the German market to move out of Princes Street Gardens and on to the road this winter.

But utility diversions elsewhere which tram firm TIE had hoped to complete by late summer will now not be finished until November.

At Haymarket, where the discovery of an underground chamber has slowed the work, diversions will now be finished a year later than originally planned.

These delays have raised concerns that work is being focused on Princes Street at the expense of other parts of the city.

Marshall Poulton, the council's head of transport, told councillors at a City Chambers briefing yesterday that the German market could move on to a pedestrianised section of the road.

"I would be extremely disappointed if from at least South Charlotte Street to Frederick Street were not back filled and open to the public by 6 September."

Council officials later poured cold water on the idea of the street hosting the market, suggesting there were no guarantees Princes Street would be ready in time.

However, Mr Poulton said tram workers had managed to make up for a month of inactivity earlier in the year during the dispute between TIE and contractor Bilfinger Berger, adding that work was currently around a week-and-a-half ahead of schedule.

A report will go before next week's full council meeting, detailing "outstanding issues" between the council and the construction consortium that are set to go to through a formal dispute resolution process. Council chiefs are also set to outline a revised timetable and a "plan B" for gathering developers' contributions after banking just a few million of the 25m it needs to secure.

Lothian SNP MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville

said: "There's no doubt we need to get Princes Street finished on time, but we shouldn't be doing that by taking workers from elsewhere."

Susan Clark, TIE's assistant project director, said she was "delighted" that contractors would be able to hand back completed sections of Princes Street.

"A variety of unforeseen complexities, including underground structures, congestion of utilities and lack of space have all contributed to the extension.

"This coupled with complex traffic management has made these areas particularly challenging, but I am confident that we'll have them completed for November."

Cllr Gordon Mackenzie, Convener of the Transport Committee, said: "Good progress is being made laying the tram tracks on Princes Street. It is important that as sections of the road are handed back for public use in the coming months that we consult with city centre stakeholders to make the best use of the space on Edinburgh's iconic street."