Major bridge in Edinburgh city centre to shut for six weeks for refurbishment works

A major city centre bridge in Edinburgh will be shut to northbound traffic for six weeks as part of completing ongoing refurbishment works.

North Bridge will close to northbound traffic from Monday, February 17 to allow for resurfacing works.

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Lothian Buses will be forced to divert several services during the closure period. Traffic will only be able to travel southbound, from Princes Street towards South Bridge.

Edinburgh City Council said wider improvement works to North Bridge had included refurbishing the cast iron bridge facades, grit blasting and repainting structural steelwork, and repairing and improving the footway paving and underdrainage.

Transport and environment convener, councillor Stephen Jenkinson, said: “I appreciate this temporary closure will be frustrating for our residents and businesses. I want to thank them for their continued patience as we carry out these essential works.

“These works are part of the wider project to restore this crucial link between the north and south of the city – and of course preserve it for future generations. I’m conscious that this work is taking longer to complete than we had initially anticipated, but this is this a hugely complex project, with the historic nature of the bridge requiring painstaking and specialist work to restore it to its former glory.”

The cost of repairs to North Bridge rose by another £1.2 million in 2023. The total cost to refurbish the bridge was previously reported at £62m – more than double the originally agreed budget.