CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Canal towpath closure at Viewforth

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  1. jdanielp
    Member

    There are signs up at Harrison Park indicating that the canal towpath will be closed between Gibson Terrace and Viewforth Bridge from 5th September for around 4 months.

    This was inevitable for the completion of the new school and surroundings, but it still seems like a long time and not a huge amount of notice (nor any signs obviously near the section to be closed off, at least from what I've seen so far). I suppose the most direct diversion along Dundee Street shouldn't be *too* bad, especially heading west...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. gembo
    Member

    Signs also quite small.

    No big deal for me assuming I can just nip down to fountainbridge a little earlier.

    New school get keys in January, pupils should be in a little later.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. Colin
    Member

    The signs are from Scottish Canals and apparently the closure is so that they can upgrade the tow-path.

    There is no suggested alternative route but Gavin Corbett expects it to be through the new student flats at Gibson Terrace then re-join at Gilmore Park.

    Cheers
    Colin

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I can't recall, is anyone meant to be doing anything about the terrible state of the access "ramp" / steps from towpath at the Viewforth Bridge as part of the school works?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. neddie
    Member

    Here are the details of the diversion:

    https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/news/works-on-the-union-canal-at-fountainbridge-edinburgh/

    Unfortunately, it is not clear whether this diversion will be suitable for bikes or not (I suspect not).

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. jdanielp
    Member

    Glad to see that the towpath was still open this morning.

    "The diversion route will take users along Gibson Street to Dundee Street then back down Gilmore Park onto the towpath. For users heading east along the canal the diversion route will be reversed."

    It seems like a lot of effort to reverse the route of the diversion each time someone comes in the other direction!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. piosad
    Member

    Having been spooked by the diversion I went onto Dundee Street earlier, but there were no arrangements in sight even just along the pavement on the southern side. Presumably that's why it was still open.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    Towpath was still open this evening.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. gembo
    Member

    Yes I diverted but need not have done so. The road beside the new school perpendicular to fountainbridge was closed again however.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. LaidBack
    Member

    Viewforth from Dundee St to St Peter's Place is closed now and temp traffic lights on bridge away. So we no longer have queues of cars outside our shop - just trucks at the luxury flats trying to turn round.
    Dundee St will be single file I think very soon. Basically anything adjoining school subject to disruption. imagine this will be for cladding school and fitting out surrounds.

    Canal users may want to come off at Harrison Park East and go on to Watson Crescent then onto Gilmore diverting back on to route at Leamington to avoid traffic snarl ups... some interesting cut throughs I've now found around here.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  11. SRD
    Moderator

    I hadn't realised that street was still Dundee st at that point. Always thought it was fountainbridge.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. jdanielp
    Member

    Still no closure and more cyclists and pedestrians along that stretch this morning than I remember for some time.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. piosad
    Member

    Diversion in place this pm and it's an absolute joke for cycles. Bits of the roadway coned off for pedestrians and single file traffic with temporary lights which is presumably where cyclists are meant to go. Disclaimer: I was actually going west on Fountainbridge and that was bad also because the queue to the temp lights started all the way at Lothian Rd at least and I got stuck behind a lorry.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. jdanielp
    Member

    I'll be encountering this for the first time tomorrow evening since I headed to Morningside tonight, but I may try the route suggested by LaidBack instead to avoid the traffic chaos so thanks both.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. gembo
    Member

    Went along towpath back of six tonight, no closure

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. neddie
    Member

    Didn't know you could get through from Home Tce to Dorset Pl...

    Think I may give the following route a shot, since Leamington Tce is now going to become a massive rat-run:

    E->W:

    NW on Viewforth
    Left on to Home Tce
    Cut thru to Dorset Pl.
    Right on to Yeaman Pl.
    Left on to Watson Cres (or Dundee St)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. piosad
    Member

    Yes that's doable though it's such a roundabout way I tend just to stick to the road if I'm off the canal in the first place...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    Horne Terrace

    Mind the parked cars and unpleasant surface at the cut-through.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  19. SRD
    Moderator

    We use that route sometimes if we're cycling with the kids. Better as a walking route than cycling. It's do-able, and sometimes even pleasant - we often stop by the canal there in the way home from school - but fiddly.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  20. neddie
    Member

    Still open

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. gembo
    Member

    Yep was purchasing birthday items in bruntsfield today (on day off) and had cheeky wee coffee en route at the canal boat cafe. No sign of any closure yet. Seems to be a very open closure

    Posted 7 years ago #
  22. recumboris
    Member

    @gembo

    You deserved that day off

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. Rosie
    Member

    Yeah, distinctly unclosed. Meanwhile F'bridge chokka.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  24. gembo
    Member

    Thanks recumboris, felt there was perhaps a primary secondary split in the singalong? With primary more active learners and the secondary a bit passive..?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  25. jdanielp
    Member

    Just Tweeted @scottishcanals to query the closure - they replied saying "Our engineers have advised that the works have been delayed a week - so the diversion will be in place Mon - Thurs next week". I then queried the fact that the closure is for 4 days rather than months as advertised, to which they replied saying "The towpath will reopen, but will close again at different intervals during the 4-month works period. We'll keep you up to date!" I look forward to them keeping me up to date...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  26. jdanielp
    Member

    There were signs of imminent canal towpath closure this morning, only a week late, in the form of fencing and machinery on the stretch west of the lifting bridge.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  27. Fountainbridge
    Member

    Canal path closed and apart for a digger parked on the path no sign of any actual work.

    Viewforth is also closed with just the narrow footpath for all pedestrian and bike traffic.

    In the time it took me to walk up the hill I was passed by 5 cyclists (cycling). 2 Very aggressively. Thankfully for them my camera battery ran out.

    2016-09-12 17.19.50 by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr
    2016-09-12 17.19.40 by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr

    And the diversion route

    2016-09-12 17.17.11 by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr

    Posted 7 years ago #
  28. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    Sustrans has information as follows (from this page - http://www.sustrans.org.uk/scotland/national-cycle-network/route-news/route-closures-and-diversions )

    Closure of 4 days this week. 10 days at a later date. 10 weeks later still.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  29. jdanielp
    Member

    I went with Gibson Terrace, Dundee Street, Yeaman Place, Polwarth Crescent, Granville Terrace, Gilmore Place last night to avoid having any right-turns across traffic, and the reverse but a left onto Watson Crescent this morning. I'll no doubt deal with it, but the minor, if noticeable, extra gradient and longer lengths of road where I feel I want to try and keep up with the taffic means that I will be ending up sweatier than usual during the closures... I may yet experiment with the 'official' diversion, but the temporary lights are surely going to make that suboptimal.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  30. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @jdanialp

    Just a thought.

    Posted 7 years ago #

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