Tram work will continue throughout the festival programme

Published on Monday 26 May 2008 22:17

CONSTRUCTION on Edinburgh's £500 million tram network is to continue throughout the capital's festival season.

Although some work will be halted in the heart of the city for most of the six-week festival period, other parts of the programme will continue.

The company behind the trams, Tie, has ordered the suspension of work on Shandwick Place or Princes Street to avoid traffic grinding to a halt.

But work to move underground pipes and cables will continue throughout Leith, including outside Ocean Terminal, Leith Walk and Constitution Street, as well as in the London Road, Gogar and Gyle areas.

And the start of work to lay the tram tracks will also affect Murrayfield, Roseburn and Edinburgh Park.

The "festival embargo" for the tram works will last from 1 August to 8 September, but Tie has insisted work in the city centre will be completed by 25 July, the day the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, the traditional curtain-raiser to the festival season, gets under way.

Willie Gallagher, the executive chairman at Tie, said: "The embargo, as agreed with City of Edinburgh Council, on all construction work during the Edinburgh festivals, has been a core element of the project's planning since its inception.

"This key event in Edinburgh's calendar should continue with the least amount of impact from the tram works and we're working with all to ensure that this is the case.

"Outside the city centre, we will continue with our programme of works on both the utility diversion and infrastructure contracts.

"We're confident that these will not spoil anyone's enjoyment of the festival."

A spokeswoman for the City of Edinburgh Council added: "We need to balance the needs of residents and visitors and their enjoyment of the festivals along with ensuring we get best value from contractors.

"Necessary work, such as major utility programmes, has always gone on outside the city centre in previous years and I'm confident that the planned road diversions will continue to be well managed and ensure all parts of Edinburgh remain accessible as the tram programme continues."

However, Graham Russell, the chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses in Edinburgh, said: "I know quite a few of the businesses in the area are pretty upset about this and there are also a number of venues in that area as well. It would seem to be fairer to have an embargo covering the whole city."

But Michael Apter, the head of the West End Traders' Association, said: "We're happy the work is being suspended on Shandwick Place, but I don't see the need for a suspension covering the whole city.

"The West End, the Old Town and the New Town are where the bulk of visitors will be during the festival period."

&#149 One of the highlights of Edinburgh's festivals season has been given the green light after council leaders agreed to halt roadworks in the Grassmarket area. A revamp of the historic thoroughfare will be suspended in late July to allow the Edinburgh Jazz Festival Mardi Gras to go ahead.