The southern end of Broughton Street and the western entry into Picardy Place will close to traffic for 4 weeks from Saturday 16 June.
Two-way traffic will be introduced around Picardy Place. Just to be clear, there will also be no access to Broughton Street for vehicles wishing to turn left from York Place. Pedestrian crossings in the area may move but will remain functioning.
Depending upon which source you believe, the drastic measure is to allow 'essential works' on the telecommunication network between Broughton Street and Cathedral Lane, or on connecting the new electricity substation in Little King Street to the rest of the tram system.
The timing of the closure, although apparently settled, may still change. City and community councillors attending the New Town and Broughton Community Council on Monday agreed to press for a postponement of the works until the school summer holidays begin and after Princes Street and the Mound reopen to general traffic at the end of June.
This latest development in the merry-go-round of Edinburgh Trams news-management comes only weeks after contrary indications that Broughton Street would remain open (Issue 207).
Edinburgh Trams' flyer to local residents and businesses (Ref. TW 201), issued this week, advises locals to visit the 'My Local Updates' page of their website. Unfortunately, when we checked it again this morning, the only information there relating to York Place concerns investigation work carried out on 9 January.
However. Spurtle has learned that further major disruptions are in the offing:
- In mid-July, once Broughton Street has reopened, York Place will be reduced to single-lanes in either direction for buses only between Picardy Place and North St David Street [sic]. This is to allow utilities work.
- In the autumn, York Place will be closed completely, with traffic diverted via Broughton Street, Albany Street, Abercromby Place and Queen Street Gardens East and/or West.
- During the latter phase, the bus station will have to shut, with services running instead from St Andrew Square.
With all this to contend with, Broughton Street traders are understandably concerned about the effect on business. They will meet next week to discuss an emergency marketing response.
Those traders who met city officials recently were informed that no Council money remained in the kitty to promote the street as it had all been spent on promoting Leith Walk and the West End.
However, on the contrary, City-centre councillor Joanne Mowat assures Spurtle that Council money and a willingness to spend it do exist, and she urges traders to contact their Town-centre Coordinator at Waterloo Place in order to access it.
With the fog of war already descending, these promise to be very trying times indeed for Broughton.
[Image courtesy of Creative Commons: Kyrenius http://www.flickr.com/photos/jango-jordan/]
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Update
Edinburgh Pub Broughton Street Traders Meeting on Monday 25th June at Mathers Bar, 6.15pm. All invited re: Road Closure Due to Tram Works