Repairs to Edinburgh's North Bridge delayed again to 2026

Works to repair the historic North Bridge in Edinburgh city centre have once again been delayed.

The project to refurbish the Category-A listed structure first began in 2018, with repairs originally estimated to cost £22 million.

Despite Edinburgh City Council reporting that works would be complete by November, further delays mean the project is now expected to be complete in Spring 2026, with the final bill estimated to cost around £86 million - four times the initial budget.

The North Bridge, which spans the Old and New Towns, was found to be in significantly worse condition than expected when works began around eight years ago.

The bridge hasn’t been refurbished since 1933, with the current project addressing the structural steelwork and concrete bridge deck, blasting and painting of the steelwork, and the reinstallation of the iron facade.

When will work on the North Bridge in Edinburgh be finished?

Factoring in the most recent delay, work on Edinburgh’s North Bridge is expected to be largely complete by Spring 2026.

Speaking with Alastair Dalton, The Scotsman’s transport correspondent, Balfour Beatty project manager Rory McFadden said: “The work should be substantially complete by spring 2026 and we’ll slowly unveil the bridge by moving the scaffolds, and should be off the structure by that summer.”