Edinburgh's Princes Street is scheduled to fully reopen on Saturday, seven weeks after a significant fire at a former department store. The thoroughfare had been partially closed for most of the city's festival season following the blaze at the B-listed former Debenhams building on 9 July.
The City of Edinburgh Council reported that "several tonnes" of debris have been removed from the site. Tram links are expected to resume, subject to testing on Friday. Bus services will also return to Princes Street, replacing current diversions along George Street.
Council leader Jane Meagher described the reopening as a "significant step" in the city's recovery. She noted that council teams and engineers had undertaken "painstaking" work to make the site safe, including stabilising the 19th-century façade with steel beams and reducing the height of the eastern gable.
While most of Princes Street will reopen, part of the pavement directly outside the former store will remain closed for ongoing remedial work. Pedestrians will be partially diverted onto the eastbound road, which will be reduced to one lane in that section. Three bus stops between Castle Street and Frederick Street will also remain closed to help reduce congestion.
A joint investigation into the cause of the fire, involving the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland, is ongoing.