Beams for Stonehaven A90 southbound carriageway to be installed
Five 43m long beams, each weighing 68 tonnes, will be installed on the A90 southbound carriageway overnight on Saturday 1 July and Sunday 2 July, as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.
For safety reasons, the B979 between New Mains of Ury and Glenury Road will close from 8pm on Friday 30 June and reopen around 6am on Monday 3 July to enable the beams to be delivered and installed safely.
A further closure on the B979 will be required from 8pm on Monday 3 July until around 6am on Tuesday 4 July to enable the contractor to undertake further installation works, which will include the bases for parapets.
There will be no access to the A90 via the new southbound slip road during these closures.
Diversions will be signposted. Road users heading north from Stonehaven should travel via B979 David Street, Allardice Street and then the A957 Bridgefield, Dunnottar Avenue up to Glasslaw Junction. They should then turn right onto the A92, known locally as the Coast Road (Dunfermline to Stonehaven Road), which leads to the A90.
Road users heading south into Stonehaven on the B979 Netherley Road travelling via the B979 New Mains of Ury should turn left to join the A90 heading north towards Aberdeen. They should then leave the A90 at the Newtonhill flyover junction and re-join the A90 heading south, taking the first exit to Stonehaven, the U90K Den of Logie Road.
The contraflow, which has been in place on the A90 since March 2017, will remain in place with one lane in each direction under a 30mph speed restriction while these works are underway. There will also be temporary traffic signals in operation on the A90 main carriageway to briefly hold traffic while lifting is taking place.
The existing A90 northbound slip roads will be open throughout the works but will remain subject to speed restrictions, local realignments and occasional overnight temporary traffic lights.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said:
“These vital bridge reconstruction works at Stonehaven are taking place over a weekend and at night when roads are quieter to minimise inconvenience to road users. It should be noted, however, the Stonehaven half marathon will also be taking place on Sunday 2 July. Although the route is not affected by the AWPR/B-T project works, anyone participating in this event, providing support to the runners or spectating should plan their journey in advance to ensure they can get there safely and on time.
“Once the beams are in place, the contractor will continue to reconstruct the A90 southbound carriageway. After these works are complete, the contraflow currently on the northbound carriageway will move to the new southbound carriageway to allow the remainder of the existing bridge to be demolished and reconstructed.
“The works at Stonehaven involves widening the B979 Netherley Road and the creation of a new roundabout, which will form the junction between the AWPR, the A90 and the B979. A new slip road on to the A90 from the B979 has already opened.
“Road users may find it useful to plan their journeys in advance by reviewing the general traffic management information on the AWPR/B-T project site and both the Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council websites for detailed information on local roads.”
Further information on upcoming weekend road closures of the B979, between the railway bridge and the existing A90 bridge, will be announced in advance, including during A90 northbound bridge demolition works and further beam installation works.
When complete, the AWPR/B-T will help to reduce congestion, cut journey times, improve safety and lower pollution in Aberdeen City Centre. It will also enable local authorities to develop public transport solutions.
Over the next three decades, the AWPR/B-T is expected to bring in an additional £6 billion to the north-east economy and create around 14,000 new jobs. Around 1,500 are currently working on the project, including on-the-job training for apprentices and local employment opportunities for long-term unemployed people.