Starting in 2007, Haddington had a one-way system imposed on the town centre for months while the jewellers was reconstructed. That was barely done last year when the huge John Gray Centre conversion of the historic Sinclair-McGill building and Procurator Fiscal office began in Lodge Street, again requiring a narrowing of a different part of the High Street and—again—a temporary one-way system.

As an ad-hoc solution, the one-way system works well (e.g. relieving jams in Hardgate) but it highlights problems like 40-tonne lorries SatNav’ed off the A68 and down the B6368 Humbie road that are hard-pressed to make the right turn at the Town House.

What this highlights is the fact that Haddington’s road infrastructure is just about at its limit, especially if the 750 houses at Letham become a reality (see 97: Commuters or Community). As with other towns, hundreds of houses have been added without roads to cope with the additional traffic. Who would pay for the needed link road between Oak Tree and the Humbie/Gifford roads via a bridge near Clerkington is a major question. But, until it’s answered, we’ll all be going round in circles.

http://www.johngraycentre.org/site/

John Gray Centre Before Construction (& One-Way)