Edinburgh’s Princes Street will fully reopen on Saturday after a major fire at the former Debenhams store forced its partial closure in early July. A section of the road has been closed since the blaze on July 9, meaning trams have been unable to run their full route from the airport to Newhaven and buses have faced diversions.
Extensive damage and disruption
No-one was injured in the fire but it caused extensive damage to the disused B-listed building and led to disruption during Edinburgh’s festival season. The City of Edinburgh Council said that significant work to make the building safe has been carried out over the past seven weeks, and the street will fully reopen on Saturday August 29.
Subject to successful testing overnight on Friday, trams will be able to run to their full route on Saturday while all city centre bus diversions will end.
Council response and thanks
Council leader Jane Meagher said: “The reopening of Princes Street is a significant step in the city’s recovery from what was a devastating fire, and I’m sure it will come as a great relief to many.
“This has been an incredibly difficult few weeks for the city, not least given the timing, and I’m pleased that we can now turn our attention to getting Edinburgh back to normal as well as helping those businesses most affected to get back on their feet.
“A great deal of effort has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible – and my thanks go 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, and their drivers, for keeping the city moving and our residents and visitors for their patience.
“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.”
Ongoing closures and safety work
The pavement on the north side of Princes Street will remain closed as remedial work is continuing at the site. The three eastbound bus stops between Castle Street and Frederick Street will also remain closed, although westbound bus stops are not affected.
Work to make the building safe has included the removal of several tonnes of bricks and unsafe stonework. Supporting steel beams have been put in place to fully stabilise the front facade of the building, while the eastern gable of the building has also been secured and made safe.
Support and recovery efforts
Earlier this month the Scottish Government announced £5 million in funding to help support recovery from the fire. The council has developed a promotional campaign titled More By The Shore to drive footfall to businesses on the northern section of the tram route, including Leith, Newhaven and The Shore.
Sarah Boyd, chief executive for Lothian buses and Edinburgh Trams, said: “We welcome the news that Princes Street is due to reopen on Saturday 29 August.
“Our teams are now focused on reinstating bus and tram services along one of the city’s most important transport corridors and we encourage customers to check the latest service updates and allow extra time for travel.
“I would like to thank our customers for their patience, understanding and support throughout this period of continued disruption.
“We are also grateful to our colleagues, whose professionalism, flexibility and commitment continued to keep Edinburgh moving during a particularly challenging time.”
