The Netherley Road (the B979) is to be closed this weekend at its junction with the A90 at Stonehaven. This is to realign the slip roads and carry out surfacing.
The Evening Express has details: https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/route-to-close-and-diversions-in-place-for-awpr-roadworks-progrsses-goes/?utm_content=buffer3f389&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
No good news yet on fully reopening the A90 at Stonehaven.
I have just been told by the Aberdeen bypass managing agent that the contractor is working hard to deliver the new Stonehaven junction structure as soon as possible, which when complete, will enable the A90 to return to two lanes in each direction. And bring to an end the tailbacks at peak hours.
Managing agent John Wilson writes: “The current lane restrictions on the A90 are required whilst work on the northbound carriageway section of the new A90 overbridge continue. Construction of the second half of the new bridge is already underway and Aberdeen Roads Ltd, the contractor for the project, has advised that the new bridge is planned to be complete during the current winter period. I would like to assure you that the construction team is working hard to deliver the new structure as soon as possible. Only once the bridge is complete will traffic at Stonehaven return to two lanes in each direction of travel.
“As with all complex civil engineering contracts of this scale, delivery and completion of certain elements of work are dependent on a variety of factors project wide including weather, design changes, scheduling or other works and availability of specialist resource for certain tasks. In the wider interests of the project the contractor needs to the balance these factors in order to keep the project on target. It is therefore not possible to confirm the exact completion date at this time.”
Separately I have heard that the contractors need a 10 day weather window to waterproof the bridge.
Meanwhile the traffic jams, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening, will continue.
I have had a response this evening from Stagecoach about some of the problems when the new bus timetable was introduced yesterday.
Stagecoach North Scotland managing director Mark Whitelocks writes: “I am very disappointed and sorry that you have had a number of concerns raised with you following our timetable change on Monday.
“Having spoken with my colleagues it would appear that yesterday morning we very unexpectedly had three drivers report that they were unable to come to work. We do have spare drivers on duty each morning to cover for such eventualities but to have three drivers in our Stonehaven depot fail in this way in such a short space of time is highly unusual and did very regretfully result in some disruption to services whilst we re-positioned drivers from other depots and called other drivers into work to assist.
“I can only apologise for any inconvenience that has been caused by this.”
I had also raised with him the omission of the occasional bus service round St Michael’s Road and St Ternan’s Road in Newtonhill from the timetable (which has happened previously) and Mr Whitelocks tells me he needs to undertake some further investigation. He promised to come back to you on this as soon as possible.
I was asked by residents if the decision by China to cease accepting imports of waste plastic (as reported in the media: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42455378) will affect Aberdeenshire Council’s recycling arrangements. Not in the short term, I’m assured.
Aberdeenshire Council has a contract in place for the collection, sorting and onward reprocessing of our mixed recycling (which includes plastics). The contractor does not export this waste to China and therefore in the short term we will not be impacted by this ban.
However it is likely, in the medium term at least, that the increase in plastic products in the reprocessing markets will decrease the income for this material and therefore increase our costs. Council officers have contacted our contractor to ask them for their view on the potential impact of this ban and are waiting to hear back from them.
UPDATE, 11 January: I have just had it confirmed that the council’s contractor has not exported any plastics to China for the last five years and therefore this ban will not affect us.
A house, biomass shed and timber yard may now be built at Cookney (to the east of the former church), the Scottish Government’s planning appeals division has decided.
Local councillors had previously turned down the application for planning permission, however the government’s reporter has concluded that “although the proposed development did not accord overall with the relevant provisions of the development plan, granting planning permission is still justified by material considerations relating to the forced relocation of the business by the construction of the AWPR.”
The reporter also said it was a finely balanced judgement.
You can read the full decision at https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx?ID=118285
I have asked roads officers if there are plans for further repairs to be made to the Netherley-Lairhillock-Rothnick-Portlethen road (the C13K).
Work was scheduled, with road closures, when the Forties pipeline leak near Netherley caused havoc. However I am now told that the planned patching repair works went ahead on the C13K by Lightways Contractors despite the emergency closure on the C12K. The only change to the C13K closure was to the diversion route, to avoid conflicts.
So, for the moment there are no further plans for the C13K.
If (and when) a further pothole appears please report it via the council website: https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/apps/roadfaults/ Council officers will then deal with the request through the normal procedures.
With the AWPR apparently scheduled to open in the spring there will be the opportunity for all local roads which have been affected during the AWPR construction to be brought back to their previous standard. I know that discussions are under way between the council and the bypass builders.
According to the Evening Express tonight the Aberdeen western peripheral route (AWPR) is to open this spring. Until now officialdom has always stated “winter 2017/18”.
I wonder when we will actually be able to use it? You can read more at https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/…/keith-brown-praise-aber…/
Meanwhile three local roads are to close for safety reasons from Monday 15 January.
In the north, owing to AWPR bridge construction and drainage works it will be necessary to close the C5K country road at Greens of Crynoch.
In the south, owing to AWPR drainage and tie-in works it will be necessary to close the U88K at Fishermyre and the U167K at Cantlayhills for nine weeks.
Council officers assure me that emergency and pedestrian access is to be maintained at both sites. Similarly vehicular access to affected properties is to be maintained whenever possible.
