Tram bosses have played down the likelihood of significant delays in the centre of Edinburgh as the latest phase of the Edinburgh Tram network preparation gets underway.

Many motorists have expressed fear of lengthy tailbacks as work begins on the busy Mound junction which provides an important road link to Princes Street and the rest of the city centre.

The construction work means that Princes Street will be closed to traffic between Frederick Street and Hanover Street, whilst the entire junction at the Mound will be closed to all traffic for up to six months.

Traffic will be diverted onto George Street or to Market Street and Waverly Bridge for the duration of the work.

Willie Gallagher, executive chairman of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE), the group responsible for building the infrastructure of the tram network, has claimed that all appropriate steps have been taken to minimise the disruption that those travelling through the city centre will suffer.

He said: “We don’t underestimate the need to mitigate the impact of these works. In the case of Princes Street we are acutely aware of its status to the city centre from a retailer, shopper and tourist perspective.

“Throughout all of this we will continue to work closely with our partners at City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian Buses and the emergency services to ensure that work is carried out as efficiently and safely as possible, with disruption kept to a minimum.”

The Mound is part of the route that connects many students from Leith and the north of Edinburgh to the central campuses of Edinburgh and Napier universities.

Though Lothian Buses have not offered specific timetable advice, experts are advising students who normally travel through Hanover Street and surrounding streets to leave at least ten minutes extra for travelling, with one operator predicting the diversion becoming “a shambles.”

Development of the trams' infrastructure has already seen major roadworks and diversions on Leith Walk and Shandwick Place.

Princes Street is due to be cut off to all traffic within the next two months, again for up to six months.

Local taxi drivers have warned that the latest work could cause a heavy build up of traffic on the diverted routes, having a profound effect on journey times in the city centre.

Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, secretary of the Edinburgh Taxi Association, Raymond Davidson said: “The roads where the diversions are going are already nose-to-tail at rush hour so it will only get worse when you add all those buses and taxis.

"Passengers will be facing big delays if it doesn’t work well because it is a major junction and there is so much traffic that goes through it.”

However, the argument advanced by TIE has been backed by both Lothian Buses and Edinburgh City Council. Bill Campbell, operations director of Lothian Buses has assured those using public transport that everything possible will be done to minimise disruption, but has conceded that there will be some delays.

He said: “This is a major diversion. Some disruption to passengers travelling into the city centre is inevitable. However, we are working closely with TIE to ensure as best we can that disruption is kept to a minimum.”

A spokesperson for TIE also dismissed Mr Davidson’s claims that there is a potential for significant tailbacks as a result of the work. He told The Journal: “TIE has put a huge amount of effort into mitigating this impact as much as possible. It has developed a sophisticated traffic management process which allows the work to be done efficiently and safely, whilst ensuring traffic flow.

“This approach is best evidenced by the work done on Shandwick Place and the current work site at Haymarket – both major works, with extensive traffic management in place. The chaos predated has not materialised, mainly down to rigorous planning and consultation.

“Each diversion is also put to consultation with local businesses and residents. It is very much a team approach.”

Edinburgh City Council has also announced that there will be a number of other changes to the Edinburgh road system in order to accommodate a tram connection to Edinburgh Airport. This will result in the loss of numerous parking spaces on St Andrew’s Square, as well as the closure of Shandwick Place to general traffic and the banning of cars on Princes Street at night.