£3M Investment to Benefit Customers in Edinburgh City Centre

Scottish Water is investing £3million to upgrade and strengthen ageing sewer infrastructure beneath Waterloo Place in Edinburgh city centre.

The project, which is planned to begin in September, will improve the long-term resilience and reliability of a key section of the city’s sewer and water network, helping it continue to serve homes and businesses for years to come.

The investment follows the discovery of a collapse in the sewer network beneath the road during CCTV inspections and will involve specialist techniques to repair the damaged section of sewer, strengthen surrounding infrastructure and install new sections of pipe.

To allow the work to be carried out safely, the westbound carriageway of Waterloo Place will be closed from Monday 7 September for approximately 11 weeks.

The eastbound lane will remain open throughout the work.

A signed diversion route will be in place for westbound traffic via London Road – Leith Street, and road users are encouraged to allow extra time for their journeys.

Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the works and businesses within the affected area will remain open as usual.

Scottish Water’s Project Manager, Richard Morris, said: “These repairs are essential to ensure the long-term resilience of the local water and wastewater network that serves the city.

“We understand that this is a busy part of Edinburgh city centre and will cause some disruption, however, every effort has been made to minimise the impact wherever possible.

“We would like to thank everyone affected for their patience and understanding while we carry out these vital repairs and would encourage anyone travelling through the area to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.”

The project, which will be delivered by Mackenzie Construction on behalf of Scottish Water, involves strengthening an existing manhole and the surrounding ground, while also replacing a new section of sewer pipe and repairing other sections of the pipeline to ensure the continued reliability of the city’s wastewater network.

The works will also include diverting and upgrading a 130-year-old 12-inch cast iron water main with around 25 metres of new pipeline, helping improve the resilience of the local water infrastructure.

The site will operate seven days a week between 7:30am and 8pm where possible, helping the team complete the repairs as quickly and safely as possible.