乐播传媒 Leader Jane Meagher has welcomed the reopening of Princes Street today (Saturday, 29 August) and thanked all those involved in making it possible.
The Capital’s main thoroughfare was first closed between Castle Street and Frederick Street on 9 July after a major fire at the former Debenham’s building. Full Lothian Buses and 乐播传媒 Trams services have now resumed, along with access for pedestrians and cyclists, following the street’s reopening.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:
I’m delighted that we’ve been able to reopen Princes Street ahead of schedule today. It’s fantastic to see buses, trams and pedestrians making their way down our main thoroughfare after what has been an incredibly challenging few weeks for the city.
A great deal of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible – and I want to reiterate my thanks to our council teams and engineers who have carried out painstaking work to make the building secure as quickly and safely as possible. I also want to thank Lothian Buses for keeping the city moving over the past seven weeks, and our residents and visitors for their patience.
The complexity of the works that have been carried out cannot be understated, with stonework and debris being removed largely by hand by specialist engineers. Throughout the closure, the safety of the public has been our highest priority.
A lot of people have asked me why it has taken so long to make the building safe and the answer is that it has all had to be done painstakingly by hand.
While this devastating fire would have undoubtedly caused disruption at any time of year, the timing couldn’t have been worse, with the city getting ready to welcome the world’s biggest arts festival. I acknowledge how difficult it has been for our residents and visitors – and of course the knock on effect this has had on businesses. We’re committed to supporting these businesses to get back on their feet and have outlined a range of measures, including our business support campaign ‘More by the Shore’, to support them not only in the here and now but well into the Christmas period and beyond.
My thanks once again to all who have made it possible to reopen Princes Street today – council officers, engineers, and our transport partners, 乐播传媒 Trams and Lothian Buses. I think it’s fair to say that this period has further underlined the critical importance and popularity of our tram network, not just to the north of the city but to the whole of Edinburgh.
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said:
News of Princes Street fully reopening will provide relief to business and commuters who have had to adapt during the widespread disruption in the city.
The Scottish Government has been determined from the start to ensure that we support the council in assisting those affected and this is why we provided funding of up to £5 million to keep the city moving and to enable long term recovery.
We will continue to engage closely with the council and partners while work on the building continues and support for affected businesses continues. This will include examining plans for future resilience.
Further information can be found on the Council website while bus and tram passengers are encouraged to continue planning ahead and checking for the latest travel updates and information. You can also follow , and on social media for regular travel updates.