Edinburgh West page 11

Continuing work at Russell Road

Earlier photos of Russell Road on Edinburgh West page 8 or
P1 or P2 or P3 or P4 or P5 or P6 or P7 or P8 or P9 or P10 or back to Edinburgh (all)

	Russell Rd 76 1280 x 720 281K	A surveyor stands at his tripod and peers through the darkness under the main railway lines leading to the west and north.
	Russell Rd 77 1280 x 720 278K	A crane sits close to the north side of the bridge. The narrow space between the fences allows pedestrians and cyclists access between Roseburn and Dalry/Gorgie.
	Russell Rd 79 1080 x 1080 275K	The crane, assisted by a worker (and a bulldozer) prepare to insert reinforcement into a deep hole drilled by the machine shown below. Concrete will be poured into the hole later creating piles to support the tramlines.
	Russell Rd 78 1280 x 861 345K	The drill used for piling near the railway bridge.
	Russell Rd 81 1280 x 723 247K	150 metres to the west another machine makes a lot of noise drilling beside the Post Office Sorting Office.

Short 12 second video of drilling for piling between the Post Office Sorting Office and the entrance ramp to the railway workshops

	Russell Rd 82 1280 x 720 257K	Another shot showing the drilling and pile driving beside the north side of the railway bridges. It was reported that some work can only be done overnight which will mean local residents will be disturbed.
	Russell Rd 83 1280 x 720 267K	A closer look at two of the giant drill bits.
	Russell Rd 84 1280 x 856 310K	The crane hoists some machinery over the pedestrian walkway.
	Russell Rd 85 1280 x 627 240K	The walkway has been moved to the opposite (west) side of the road. The red rubble has been partially cleared and the pavement cleaned.
	Russell Rd 86 1280 x 720 291K	Looking along the repositioned walkway towards the north side of the railway bridges.
	Russell Rd 96 1225 x 1080 358K	Somewhere near here trams will pass overhead one day. The cycle path which ran along the high embankment has been closed off but is still accessible a bit to the north at Wester Coates Terrace near Roseburn.
	Russell Rd 2012 11 1280 x 720 275K	If approaching from the south the most obvious change is a temporary concrete shuttering wall on the east side of the road. 17th February 2012.
	Russell Rd 2012 12 1280 x 723 300K	Zoomed in. The embankment at the back is where the cycle path has been closed off.
	Russell Rd 2012 13 1280 x 720 255K	Behind the shuttering is a conduit space for drains and cables. It remains to be seen how the trams will traverse Russell Road.
	Russell Rd 2012 14 1280 x 720 335K	On the opposite (west) side of the road facing south. A similar conduit space is being prepared here too. Don't expect to be able to drive through here for a while... People do try every day though, despited the ROAD CLOSED signs at Roseburn Street and Murieston!
	Russell Rd 2012 15 1280 x 720 277K	The state of play on 3rd March
	Russell Rd 2012 16 1280 x 816 358K	The sun shone on the 4th of March...
	Russell Rd 2012 17 1280 x 720 348K	...but no concrete poured here just yet.
	Russell Rd 2012 18 1280 x 720 249K	Normally lined with cars even when the road is closed.
	Russell Rd 2012 20 1280 x 720 213K	Clearing the soil away from the railway embankment to make room. It's unclear how access to the railway workshops will be affected.
	Russell Rd 2012 22 1280 x 720 287K	Once again, the pedestrian / cycle route has been changed to the east side where concrete has been poured and set into a high wall, replacing the old stone wall.
	Russell Rd 2012 23 1280 x 720 259K	From the north east corner you can look back at the new wall over which trams will run.
	Russell Rd 2012 24 1280 x 693 194K	Back at the west corner where the trams must somehow cross that ramp diagonally then run parallel to the Royal Mail sorting office on the right.
	Russell Rd 2012 27 1080 x 1080 308K	A closer look at the new wall. The path under the rail bridge goes to McLeod Street and Murieston Crescent. These streets lead to Gorgie Road and Dalry Road respectively.
	Russell Rd 2012 28 1280 x 682 259K	It now seems obvious that the trams will cross over the road slightly higher than the trains.
	Russell Rd 2012 29 1080 x 1080 323K	The view in the opposite direction (north). The nearby signs state that the road is closed until summer 2012. Summer has come early at the end of March with record breaking temperatures thanks to global warming.
	Russell Rd 2012 31 1280 x 720 441K	A new reinforced concrete ramp runs alongside the existing roadway into the Haymarket train workshops. I'm guessing it's for trams to run on - but how will they cross without blocking the original roadway?
	Russell Rd 2012 32 1280 x 687 259K	A broad view of the scene. Reinforced plastic sheeting has been fixed to the embankment on the left. Two workers in hi-viz orange waistcoats are standing further up the cobbled roadway.
	Murrayfield Stop 1280 x 639 247K	Not far to the west work continues beside Murrayfield stadium's main entrance. These steps must surely be for the tramstop being constructed. Thousands of fans will one day stream up and down this stairway.
	Russell Rd 2012 33 1280 x 720 318K	If walking from Roseburn and staying on the right side of the road you'd see this facing the end of the footpath. The embankment has been stripped away to an angle and covered in this material.
	Russell Rd 2012 34 1280 x 699 345K	There are also notices on fences saying KEEP AWAY FROM SIGNPOSTS. There aren't any signposts anywhere. Lots of notices but no signposts.
	Russell Rd 2012 36 1280 x 720 325K	From the same corner as 33 above but looking to the left where this train siding curves towards the bridge over the road's other corner.
	Russell Rd 2012 37 1280 x 707 279K	This is the rather rusty scene under this busy rail bridge. Corrugated iron provides some protection from pigeon shit.
	Russell Rd 2012 39 1080 x 1080 259K	Back at the west-most corner where the orange crane prepares to lift a huge drill bit into the yellow drilling machine - or pile driver.
	Russell Rd 2012 41 1280 x 720 277K	A closer view showing the diameter of the holes that are drilled then filled with welded reinforcing rods into which concrete is poured.
	Russell Rd 2012 43 1280 x 827 483K	A drill bit but not the sort you'd fit into a power drill at home.
	Russell Rd 2012 47 1280 x 1005 344K	At the north side of the railway bridge preparations continue for the tram bridge. May 3rd 2012.
	Russell Rd 2012 48 1280 x 1080 373K	Zooming in shows a worker inside the concrete reinforcements, chipping some concrete away with a pneumatic drill. I'm reminded of a Tom Sharpe book in which a body, embedded in concrete, turned out to be an inflatable 'woman'.