North Bridge will fully reopen by 7pm today (Friday 31 July), with final completion of the project expected later this year.
Both pavements and traffic lanes will be brought back into use in time for the peak festival season in August.
Work on the North Bridge began in 2018 and since then the Category A Listed structure has undergone a complete restoration.
This has included grit blasting and repainting all structural steelwork, restoring and hand finishing the cast iron façade, and installing a permanent access platform for future monitoring and care of the bridge.
The project has also brought significant social benefits through partnerships with local schools and universities, collaboration with charities and community groups, alongside careers support for young people, ex-offenders and people with disabilities.
A time capsule was interred last year with key objects from the project and an exhibition Study for North Bridge is running until September at the City Art Centre.
A co-curated video with contractor Balfour Beatty discusses this milestone and goes into some of the key information behind the project.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said:
I’m delighted that we’ve reached this key milestone in the project. This reopening is all the more welcome given the busy time of year, and the wider travel disruption we’re currently experiencing as a result of the fire on Princes Street.
Make no mistake, this has been one of the most complex and ambitious projects the Council has ever undertaken. When work first began, some areas of the bridge hadn’t seen the light of day in over a century, and few could’ve imagined the scale of the challenge we faced.
I’m conscious that this has taken longer, and cost more than we initially anticipated. Our residents, businesses and visitors have my sincere thanks for their patience during this time. However, I’m incredibly proud that we’ve successfully preserved and enhanced this cornerstone of Edinburgh’s history, and key transport corridor, for future generations of our city.
To see the bridge back to its former glory, with the new façade shining in the summer sun, is something we can all celebrate together.
Rory McFadden, Project Director at Balfour Beatty, said:
The reopening of North Bridge to both traffic and pedestrians marks a major milestone in this complex restoration project and is a significant step towards returning this iconic structure to the heart of Edinburgh’s transport network.
While there is still work to complete in the months ahead, it will be incredibly rewarding to see residents, visitors and businesses once again utilising the bridge and benefitting from this vital transport link.