Edinburgh's North Bridge to fully reopen next summer almost four times over budget

It’s been seven years in the making and is almost four times over budget, but Edinburgh’s North Bridge is expected to fully reopen by next summer.

Restoration began in 2018 after pieces of cast iron and concrete began falling onto Waverley Station below.

At that time it was thought the project would take two years and was estimated to cost around £22m.

Seven years on, the cost is believed to be nearer £86m.

Originally built in 1897, when refurbishment works got underway, it was the first time some areas of the bridge had been accessed in 125 years.

It was constructed by Sir William Arrol, who is also responsible for the Forth Rail Bridge and the Tay Bridge.

Two-way traffic on the bridge returned in March after a six week northbound closure for resurfacing works.

Contractors say they are now adding the finishing touches to the project, including a fresh coat of paint to restore its original colour, with plans for the bridge to fully reopen next summer.

Rory McFadden, project director at Balfour Beatty, said: “What we found was that the bridge was in much worse condition than we expected, even at that stage though we didn’t understand the full extent of the repairs that were required.

“It wasn’t until we started removing the thick bituminous paint that was on the bridge and started exposing the structure and the steel work and the cast and the concrete that we could truly understand the extent of repairs that were required.”

“It is category A-listed, we’re in a world heritage site here in this part of the city and one of the main briefs that we’ve got is that the bridge needs to look the exact same when we’re finish as it did before we started.

“So there was a very important emphasis on retaining what was there apposed to replacing it and that’s what we’ve done.”

Councillor Stephen Jenkinson and Rory McFadden. STV News

But with ambitions to extend trams to the south of the city, we could see more construction here in the future.

Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, Edinburgh City Council’s transport convener, said: “We’re obviously in the process of developing a strategic business case for North-South tram in Edinburgh and that process is one that we’re working through at the moment with a consultation to come out later on this year.

“What I do know is that the North Bridge has been substantially strengthened and if the desired route is to put a tram across North Bridge, the bridge can withstand that.”