Leith Street Bridge being removed tonight

The footbridge which linked the St James Centre to the Greenside Car Park and buildings on the other side of Leith Street, will be removed this evening.

It was always the plan to take the bridge down, but it does not seem to have found a new home as was originally thought.

The bridge has been in place for 14 years and will make way for the street to be redesigned which the council say will improve the area for pedestrians and cyclists.

There will be increased pavement space and a two-way cycle lane.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes, said: “The removal of the Leith Street footbridge marks a visual milestone for the St James development but also signifies moves to create a more relaxed atmosphere to the east of the city centre.

“Over recent decades, Leith Street has been very much focused on cars rather than pedestrians and cyclists, but before long it will be busy with shoppers, tourists and workers drawn to the revamped east end. By opening up the area for active travel we want to ensure it is welcoming to all visitors and residents, whatever mode of transport they choose.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their patience during these essential works and I’m pleased to see the planned diversions have enabled the flow of traffic since Leith Street’s closure began. The Council will continue to work very closely with the developer to monitor the impact of this work and to ensure they keep the public properly informed throughout.”

Martin Perry, Director of Development, TH Real Estate, said: “The removal of the pedestrian bridge on Leith Street is an intrinsic element in our programme of improvements for the east end of the city creating a high quality and much-improved environment, which will better serve Edinburgh’s pedestrians, public transport and cyclists for years to come. We are working closely alongside our contractor Laing O’Rourke and the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure minimum disruption is caused and it is removed safely and efficiently.”

During the dismantling, taking place between midnight on Friday and 8am on Saturday, the street, which is currently closed to traffic, will also be closed to pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, Leith Street will be closed to vehicles accessing Calton Road from 7pm on Friday until 8am on Saturday morning.

The £1bn St James development, which began last year, will create retail space, leisure facilities, new homes and a world-class hotel in the city centre and is scheduled for completion in 2020.

Find out more about the project online.