Edinburgh city centre road to close for three months due to £3m sewer upgrades

A busy road in Edinburgh city centre will be closed for three months as Scottish Water carries out major sewer works in the area.

Waterloo Place, close to St James Quarter and Princes Street, will be closed from September 7, as part of a £3 million improvement plan.

Scottish Water says the project will “improve the long-term resilience and reliability” of the city’s sewer network.

The work is in response to a collapsed sewer beneath Waterloo Place, which was discovered during CCTV inspections.

Workers will use specialist techniques to repair the damaged section of sewer, strengthen the surrounding infrastructure and install new sections of pipe.

It will also include replacing a 130-year-old cast-iron pipe.

This means the westbound carriageway of Waterloo Place will be closed for 11 weeks, resulting in restrictions on traffic entering the city centre from Regent Road.

A signed diversion route will be in place for traffic via London Road to Leith Street, and road users are encouraged to allow extra time for their journeys.

Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the works, and businesses within the affected area will remain open as usual.

Scottish Water’s project manager, Richard Morris, said: “These repairs are essential to ensure the long-term resilience of the local water and wastewater network that serves the city.

“We understand that this is a busy part of Edinburgh city centre and will cause some disruption, however, every effort has been made to minimise the impact wherever possible.

“We would like to thank everyone affected for their patience and understanding while we carry out these vital repairs and would encourage anyone travelling through the area to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.”