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A major river restoration project has been launched in Edinburgh.
The development is expected to lead the way for future housing and other developments within the Edinburgh BioQuarter.
The Niddrie Burn Restoration Project, which cost £11m saw 1.8km of the Niddrie Burn realigned to form a river corridor with landscaping, footbridges and a flood storage area within parkland.
The work was delivered on budget and jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise (£5.77m of the total budget). It also required a number of public utilities to be diverted, including 1km of Scottish Water trunk sewer, 700 meters of water trunk main and 240 metres of Scottish Power cables.
A new public transport link road also needed to be constructed. It consists of 1km of carriageway connecting Little France Drive with Greendykes Road, with a 200m section that forms a bus lane for public transport, taxis and emergency vehicles. The link road project also incorporates a 2m footpath and a 4m combined footpath/cycleway and street lighting.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: "Today is an important milestone for this fast-growing part of Edinburgh; the effects of this work will be enormously beneficial to the whole area.
"This complex engineering project, delivered on budget, has created a wealth of opportunities for new homes and new development in the BioQuarter. The new Link Road will also make it much easier for hospital staff, patients and visitors to travel to and from the Royal Infirmary and we're looking forward to seeing a new bus service start operating on this road in the near future."
(JP/MH)
