Businesses will be relieved that Princes Street in Edinburgh will fully reopen on Saturday following the devastating fire that destroyed the former Debenham’s building last month.
Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses were running test services ahead of a resumption of services, with pedestrian access also restored between Castle Street and Frederick Street for the first time since 9 July.
However, the pavement along the frontage of the damaged building and the three eastbound bus stops between the two streets will remain closed for a further period while assessment on the future of the site continues.
One lane of the eastbound carriageway will be used as a temporary pedestrian walkway.
The building has been made safe, with a number of supporting steel beams. Several tonnes of bricks and unsafe stonework from the upper levels of the façade have been removed and stored for reuse; along with several tonnes of debris and dangerous materials.
The Scottish government announced a £5 million fund to help support those businesses in the vicinity and into Leith that have been affected by the closure.
Council leader Jane Meagher said: “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 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.
“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.
“With that in mind, I’m pleased that our business support campaign ‘More by the Shore’ is taking shape – and will soon be encouraging more residents and visitors to explore Leith, the Shore and Newhaven, and visit the fantastic local businesses there.
“This activity is planned to run well beyond the reopening of Princes Street, over the festive period and into the new year.”
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