Road works update for festive period

A roundup of road works underway or soon to start around Orkney to take you through to early in the new year:

The current road works on Brodgar Road (B9055) are ongoing, with Phase 3 (with closures from Buckan Cottage to Lyking Road) are expected to be completed by 4pm on Friday 23 December and the road fully reopened.

The zebra crossing outside the Balfour Hospital on New Scapa Road is closed while poles are replaced - traffic is being controlled by temporary traffic signals when required and works are expected to be completed by the end of this week (23 December).

Work on the retaining wall at the junction of Hammar Road and the A966 (the main Finstown-Tingwall-Evie road) is underway with work expected to take until the end of February 2023 to complete. Traffic delays including delays to Bus Service 7 will be slightly longer as the area covered by traffic lights has been extended to enable the work to be carried safely. Motorists are also reminded the road width is now significantly narrower – please be mindful of these changes and to drive accordingly and observe any speed signs which are there for everyone’s protection.

Work is ongoing on the Harray Road (A986) to fix a collapsed culvert which has been causing flooding between Grimeston Road and Refuge Corner. Steel-plating in place over the road until the crews return to finish the culvert replacement, at which point temporary traffic lights will be reinstated. Drivers are asked to heed any speed signs for the safety of workers exposed to traffic. There will be slight delays for public bus Service 7 (Birsay-Dounby).

Work by Scottish Water is ongoing on Glaitness Road, Kirkwall, with temporary traffic lights in place.

Streetlighting and footway resurfacing are planned for Scapa Crescent between 4 January and 5 April. The work will be carried out using a variety of traffic management which will include road closures at times.

Resurfacing works on the Holm Road/Easdale Loan junction is planned to start on 9 January 2023, for around four days. This will see Easdale Loan being closed to through traffic and temporary traffic lights in place. The No 9 Town service will experience minor delays, and there will be a short diversion for the No 4 Airport bus, but passengers will be able to pick the bus up at both the top or the bottom of Easdale Loan.

Work is due to take place on Quoyloo Road between West Bain and Kierfiold Farm from 12 to 18 January under road closure conditions, a signed diversion route will be in place for the duration of the work on site.

The Openreach works on the Yinstay Road, Tankerness, have been rescheduled to commence on 12 January 2023 with completion still hopefully by 21 January 2023. Access will be maintained for school transport.

Looking ahead:

Work is planned to take place on the Yesnaby Road between 17 and 23 January 2023, with the road being closed for the duration. Delays to affected properties will be minimised when possible.

Scottish Water are currently planning to close the Groatsetter Road and Newark Road, Tankerness from 16 January to 3 February to lay a new water main, a signed diversion route will be provided via the A960, Churchyard Road and Shore Road for the duration of the work.