Replacement of HLR / Seafield / Portobello Rd Roundabout

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 29 Sep 2008, 15:50

The joys of living in Portobello. What a major carry on this whole thing has been.

Like Porty wrote, I too hope its worth it. but im pretty easy about the whole thing really, as long as I get to work in the morning and back home at night im happy, as long as it takes less than two hours to get from Leith to Porty im no bothered..lol

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 29 Sep 2008, 16:44

Pal of Porty wrote:• be safer, particularly for pedestrians,

Bound to be safer than what's there now! I know I keep going on about it (!) but I'm amazed nobody has been run over so far. A couple of bits of string between me and the lorries does not instil confidence. I won't go into the rigmaroll it took for me to get from PHS to Moira Terrace on Saturday but it involved me double backing and getting a bus!

Grunk · Post by **Grunk** » 29 Sep 2008, 17:38

Bizarrely, I suggested cutting off the junction from Portobello high street. keeping the main arterial route via HLR open whilst allowing the workies much more space to get the job done quickly.

The project manger guy, dismissed it out of hand, saying that it was unworkable and that there was no way they'd consider doing that.

slvrpe · Post by **slvrpe** » 01 Oct 2008, 23:18

After seeing the traffic on the Harry Lauder road this morning - what a crazy solution, it's just going to cause even more mayhem, confusion and delays!!! Somebody hasn't been doing thier homework. Really makes you wonder how well the finished product is going to work....

Grunk · Post by **Grunk** » 02 Oct 2008, 08:17

The problem is that there is no real alternative for a lot of folk traveling into or out of edinburgh.
Driving and sitting in traffic for over an hour is still gets you there faster than using public transport, it is cheaper and more convenient too. Especially since buses are getting caught up in the same delays.

Is the tranport planning dept. accountable to anyone? does anyone actully point out when they've done a bad job? is there even one unified transport commission for all of edinburgh? I'm not really sure what role the council plays or sestran or TIE or the executive in the whole planning scheme, but either way its not working.

I guess it'll be easier to complain in 2011 though as there will be a tram link with stops handily placed by each of their offices, that is of course if they've not all left work early to head out to the airport.

Post by **wangi** » 15 Oct 2008, 22:41

chris wrote:I'm surprised there's nothing on here about the imminent closure of Porty Hight street to through traffic.

Any one know when it's being closed?

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 16 Oct 2008, 08:05

I'd heard rumours of "mid October"
They're still fiddling about in Harry lauder Rd suppose they'll need to get the diversions in place first.

Guess we'll find out when the road is closed.
Hope the bus divertions are more successful than the mid Sept ones (when Southfield Place was closed )

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 16 Oct 2008, 09:38

SoupDragon wrote: Hope the bus divertions are more successful than the mid Sept ones (when Southfield Place was closed )

Were those ones not successful?

What happened?

chris · Post by **chris** » 16 Oct 2008, 09:46

From what I heard it's mid to late October. There's supposed to be info going out to locals - I wasn't sure if I'd some how missed it.

LRT, the police, the contractors and I presume the council discussed it.

Anybody with council involvement know anything?

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 16 Oct 2008, 11:37

If you remember when Southfield Place was due to close no one knew where the buses were supposed to go until a day or two before the closure.
After the Sept weekend Clanger 3 waited ages for the "every 15 minute" shuttle bus trying to get to school.
No info was available at the bus stop as to what buses were running for her.
Luckily she has a bus pass and hopped on and off different buses til she got there, late.

Theres a bit of a letter from Maureen Child on pg 3 of this thread.

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 16 Oct 2008, 13:39

chris wrote: Anybody with council involvement know anything?

Ive just checked on the Orb just now and all I can see is a statement in the weekly reports:

Seafield Roundabout | Removal of Roundabout | See separate Seafield Roundabout Information | Until 01/04/09

But when I go to the other information it hasnt been updated to include information about any more planned road closures.

promqueen · Post by **promqueen** » 16 Oct 2008, 22:23

On the subject of buses - I need to go to Plockton to teach once a week - I buy my train ticket in advance - and have to catch a train at 6.40 am in order to make all the connections. Before the roadworks, I could get a bus that would easily get me to the station for the back of 6. Not now. Buses don't turn up at all - I had to abandon one journey altogether,so lost my ticket price AND a day's teaching money - ( will the council or bus company refund THAT, d'ye think?? )
More importantly, there are no safe pedestrian crossings whatsoever at Seafield Road shops - laughably, we have a lot of traffic cones linked together by blue string all over the road, maybe even forming a straight line at points. Cars come racing round the corner there - they always have - but without lights, they feel able to just carry on that way. Pedestrians - children and old folk cross here regularly - are left to guess which the 'safe lane' could possibly be. Any escape routes from buses or trucks are cordoned off by the string, but no safe crossing is identifiable.
FINALLY ( hurray ! you sigh...) .. The footpath at the top of King's Road has been closed off since the first day of work. Fences are tied with that lovely blue string.. there's a bit of gravel and new tarmac, a couple of holes.. some nice purple tubing.. but nothing since. As a person who wants to just get to the bus stop, carrying a rucksack and bulky musical instrument ( for work ) it's a pain to walk down half of King's Road to accommodate no workers. It's even worse to come back that way with a few bags laden from the bloody Co -Op - another thread entirely, of course!!
Rant over,
but work still on 'til END of November, now... : (

Grunk · Post by **Grunk** » 17 Oct 2008, 17:08

I think that's a misnomer, I'm sure it's been relabeled "preliminary work". The rest of the work will no doubt drag on until june 2009.

Post by **wangi** » 17 Oct 2008, 17:21

Grunk wrote:The rest of the work will no doubt drag on until june 2009.

At least. Compare the same work at Milton Link -- only this week did they eventually start on the landscaping work.

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 19 Oct 2008, 13:49

Grunk wrote:I think that's a misnomer, I'm sure it's been relabeled "preliminary work". The rest of the work will no doubt drag on until june 2009.

Isnt the work going on until April 2009? When I checked at work on the Orb it sid April 09.

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 20 Oct 2008, 17:39

Article from the Evening News today about the High Street closure.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 25 Oct 2008, 09:04

A drawing showing details of diversion routes and enabling works associated with the closure of Portobello High Street is available to view here:

Porty High Street Closure and Diversion Routes

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 28 Oct 2008, 10:38

The partial closure of the High Street was discussed at last night's Community Council meeting. There is uncertainty over when the closure will be implemented. Cllr Hawkins had been told it might be by the end of the week, but that it is weather dependant etc. His hope was that all work will be finished by Christmas. However, Cllr Bridgman thought this was too optimistic and that work would be continuing beyond that date. For example, Cllr Bridgman had been told that the traffic lights were still 'on order'.

Mention was also made of the fact that many folk mistakingly believe that the High Street will be closed entirely and that this could lead to loss of trade for local shopkeepers.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 31 Oct 2008, 20:12

From Maureen Child:

Dear All

I now have advance warning for you about the possible start date for the Seafield/King’s Road diversions to enable the road works to be completed in 6 weeks. In response to my questions, the project manager got back to me with this today:

“We now have the 8th of November as a start date, but this is dependent on some civils/traffic signals work that our Contractor and our Traffic Signals Sub-contractor will be carrying out this weekend (1st and 2nd November) and the installation of the electrical connection to the temporary signals. I will be able to confirm this date on Monday.

The date of the closure of Portobello High Street (once confirmed) will be advertised through press releases, the CEC Transport website and advance signing. There are also leaflets being produced for distribution to the local residents and businesses, prior to the start.”

I’ll keep you updated as soon as I have any further information.

Maureen

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 31 Oct 2008, 20:16

Bob Jefferson wrote:From Maureen Child:

Dear All

I now have advance warning for you about the possible start date for the Seafield/King’s Road diversions to enable the road works to be completed in 6 weeks. In response to my questions, the project manager got back to me with this today:

“We now have the 8th of November as a start date, but this is dependent on some civils/traffic signals work that our Contractor and our Traffic Signals Sub-contractor will be carrying out this weekend (1st and 2nd November) and the installation of the electrical connection to the temporary signals. I will be able to confirm this date on Monday.

The date of the closure of Portobello High Street (once confirmed) will be advertised through press releases, the CEC Transport website and advance signing. There are also leaflets being produced for distribution to the local residents and businesses, prior to the start.”

I’ll keep you updated as soon as I have any further information.

Maureen

Presumably will also be on the Councils weekly roads report for those who recieve copies of it.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 03 Nov 2008, 14:16

From today's EN:

Workers sent home as roundabout roads revamp comes to a standstill

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 03 Nov 2008, 15:43

Another cock up, how charming.

You would have thought they could be doing some of the tidying up work like finishing off the traffic islands on the Portobello Road etc;

Grunk · Post by **Grunk** » 06 Nov 2008, 10:41

Does anyone else find it a bit concerning that the reason Portobello High Street is going to be closed is because, they couldn't get temporary traffic lights to work effectively.

Yet the raison d'etre of the road works is to put in permanent traffic lights.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 06 Nov 2008, 10:54

Not sure- isn't there a difference? The permanent lights will be designed to cope with a set number of flows on a completed junction. Whereas the temporary lights have to cope with a combination of variable, altering, flows on a construction site.

I have no idea - its a pure guess.

Grunk · Post by **Grunk** » 06 Nov 2008, 11:31

Porty wrote:Not sure- isn't there a difference? The permanent lights will be designed to cope with a set number of flows on a completed junction.

You put too much faith in the transport planners of Edinburgh. The same people who couldn't make a left turn for buses work properly earlier in the year, because the buses were too big. I'm pretty sure the size of a bus hasn't changed much in the last 30 years...

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 06 Nov 2008, 19:45

Latest update from Maureen Child:

Dear All

Sorry for any repeat postings on this information but this is the latest we have on the road works at Seafield/Kings Road and the proposed diversions form the project manager, Andrew Easson..

“I would like to provide you with an update on the above. Unfortunately, we will not now be in a position to complete the advanced works that are necessary to close Portobello High Street and change over the traffic management at the site by this weekend, as had been hoped. It has been decided that the closure and the changeover of the traffic management should happen at a weekend to avoid unnecessary disruption to commuter and business traffic. It is therefore now intended to implement these changes next weekend, on either Saturday 15 or Sunday 16 November. I hope to be able to confirm the actual date within the next couple of days.

Subject to suitable weather conditions, it is still hoped to be in a position to open the new junction to traffic prior to the Christmas holiday period even if certain elements of the work are not fully complete. We will be working with the contractor to establish how best to achieve this.”

The Council’s media officer, Leanne Mabberley has also got back to us about how this will be advertised saying:

“Just to confirm the communications the Council is doing on this:

Leaflet will be distributed to Portobello High Street shops (for their customers)
The same leaflet will go to all residents in the wider area
Advert will be placed in the Evening News and other regional papers (next week if the works start on 15/16)
Our website will be updated: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/kingsroad
Press release will be issued widely once the date is confirmed
NB - the leaflets are not likely to be distributed until next week, as we will only finalise the copy/design once the date is confirmed. We then have to allow a few days for print and distribution.”

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 06 Nov 2008, 21:16

Wonder if the leaflet will have tips for pedestrians on how not to get killed when attempting to cross the road

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 08 Nov 2008, 16:43

From the EN 6 Nov:

Roundabout way of squandering cash

and letter in reply from today's EN:

Working hard to make roads safer

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 08 Nov 2008, 17:21

I presume the ongoing (but currently suspended) roadworks at the roundabout are included in the 392 sets of roadworks apparently currently in progress accross the city.

392 works on the road to nowhere. From the Evening News on 8/11/08.

Link to Scottish Road Works Commissioners website.

Link to our local roundabouts listing on the Scottish Road Works Register website as promoted on the Commissioners website/

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » 09 Nov 2008, 13:17

Notice the signs have started going up advising people that the junction to the High Street will be closed from the 15th.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 09 Nov 2008, 22:54

"In the meantime there is gridlock seven days a week and pedestrians, yep. pedestrians, cannot cross the road without a last cigar and a blindfold"

This must be the best quote ever from the EN

And, spot on!

Post by **wangi** » 09 Nov 2008, 22:56

Now now, no need to be flippant - that magical blue rope is doing a wonderful job of protecting pedestrians...

What a joke.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 10 Nov 2008, 13:02

Ah yes, the magic blue rope. Is it really an invisible force field? How clever of them to think of that.

Grunk · Post by **Grunk** » 10 Nov 2008, 13:27

I've estimated that sitting in traffic due to poorly planned roadworks/transport systems costs me about an extra £300 a year in fuel.

That corresponds to about 0.7 tonnes of CO2 emissions. So if we multiply that by the number of road users we get a huge figure.
Just because the planners can't plan properly.

I wonder how much quicker the planet will warm due to this years' roadworks in Edinburgh

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 10 Nov 2008, 13:40

I was talking to an ex PHS pupil at the weekend, he was a head honcho at Hackney council. He tells me that one of the reasons you see roadworks commencing followed by a long period of inactivity is because when a licence to do works is granted there is date by which works must start or it runs out. There is no end date for works specified. Can anyone confirm this?

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Replacement of HLR / Seafield / Portobello Rd Roundabout

Buses, roundabout - EVERYTHING !