Valley Gardens 3 improvements move to St James’s Street junction

Work on the Valley Gardens 3 project will continue next month when it moves to the St James’s Street junction.

Having already resurfaced Castle Square and removed the large island near the Royal Albion hotel, work is continuing along the eastern side of Old Steine.

This next phase includes:

  • Resurfaced pavements
  • Wider area for pedestrians and better crossing point near to Princes Street
  • Improved and safer crossing points for pedestrians
  • Extra wide loading bay for coaches

Read more about Valley Gardens 3, including plans and construction schedule.

This phase will include improvements to the junction of Old Steine and St James’s Street which will mean the entrance into St James’s Street will be closed for around 2 weeks from Monday 10 February. Pedestrians will still be able to access the area and all shops remain open for business as usual.

Buses that normally use St James’s Street will instead go along the seafront and Lower Rock Gardens, with a temporary bus stop put in place to the south of St James’s Street on the Old Steine.

The work so far

Since the end of November, Castle Square has been resurfaced, making journeys smoother for vehicles and bus passengers. The large island just north of the Palace Pier roundabout has also been removed in preparation for the new road layout.

A picture of a road and junction

Picture: The resurfaced Castle Square

A picture of some large machinery digging up a road

Picture: Removing the large island near the Royal Albion hotel

Working with businesses

Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport, Parking and Public Realm, said: “It’s been great to see the progress we’ve made on Valley Gardens 3 already, especially the resurfacing of Castle Square, which has provided much better journeys through that area.

“We’ve worked closely with businesses in St James’s Street to make sure any disruption is kept to a minimum and that the junction can be reopened as quickly as possible. I’d personally like to thank them for their patience and understanding.

“The final phase of the Valley Gardens project is really going to improve this part of the city. It’s still early days, but we’ve made good progress and I’m looking forward to seeing the improvements this next phase will bring.”

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