A new hole - or was it an old one but bigger

Nice surprise this morning , after a few days when we seriously believed that the tramwork people were about to leave the road reinstated and clear, I arrived to find an even bigger hole in the road.
Turns out , or so they say, that when they tested the new gas mains installed last year by Carillion a leak was discovered, and it has to be found and fixed before the gas can be diverted into the new pipe and the old one sealed off. Unfortunately, the fact that gases do not leak straight upwards there is a bit of a search going on for the offending fracture.
For the record, this set of works started in August 2008 and was scheduled for five weeks !!!!!!!!!! now we know why the price has gone through the roof, the atmosphere and the stratosphere - but do not for any reason ask the overseeing committee at Edinburgh Council what is going on - they have no idea at all. from what I gather there were plans to open up Palmerston Place, shut Manor Place and close Shandwick Place this weekend but with the gas leak that is now postponed.
Biggest treat is still to come, when they try to decide what is to be done about the underground air raid shelters at Haymarket and the West End ( stage whisper - no one wants to even think about it !!)

HOT OFF THE PRESS :- Have now heard that the gas leak has been fixed and backfilling is taking place as I type - the men are even working from 7.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The new traffic set up is due to be in force by 27th February.