Edinburgh trams: Works at St Andrew Square ends

Trams are due to return to Edinburgh next year

All road and tram track works are now complete around Edinburgh's St Andrew Square.

The completion of these works around the square follows the full re-opening of Princes Street at the end of 2012.

Works between Shandwick Place and Haymarket Junction are due to be finished during the summer.

The York Place works are to be completed by the end of the year with trams due to be running in Edinburgh by the summer of 2014.

Once road and track construction work is finished, further works to install overhead and underground cabling will be carried out.

'Crucial period'

Lesley Hinds, Edinburgh City Council's transport convener, said: "Good progress is now clearly visible across the city centre and the removal of barriers and fences at St Andrew Square will be a welcome sight to traders, residents and visitors to the area.

"This is the first of four major city centre work sites to be completed in 2013, all of which are on course to be finished in line with the revised schedule by the end of the year."

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "Following the recent council report which showed that the project is making good progress in relation to the revised timetable, I hope that local businesses, residents, commuters and visitors can take further heart from the fact that another key milestone has been reached today.

"I congratulate everyone involved, however no-one is getting carried away and it's important to build on this momentum as we enter a crucial period for the city."