Road works update for week starting 6 February 2023

A roundup of works underway or soon to start around Orkney, for the week starting Monday 6 February.

Streetlight repairs on the A960 (main Kirkwall to St Margarets Hope road) in St Mary’s, at Inn Corner, will start on Monday 6 February with the work expected to be completed by the end of the week. Traffic lights will be in place and there will be slight delays to all traffic including the X1 public bus service.

Scottish Water are currently planning to start work on the A960 (man Kirkwall to Deerness road) at its junction with the B9052 (to St Andrews Primary School) from 6 February 2023, work will then progress along through Toab. Traffic lights will be in place for the duration of the work. All traffic will be subject to slight delays including the public bus Number 3 (Deerness service).

The rescheduled work on Yesnaby Road is planned to take place between 13 and 15 February inclusive, with the road being closed for the duration. Delays to affected properties will be minimised when possible.

OpenReach have works underway on the main A965 through Finstown, taking place in stages on the stretch between Old Finstown Road and The Pomona, with traffic lights in operation. This will mean slight delays for all traffic including public buses. Works are expected to be underway until the end of February.

Openreach also have works underway at two other locations on the A965 between Biggings Road, Holm, and Oaklea, St Ola,work is also being carried out between the Harry Road (A986) junction and Maeshowe, with the work in both areas being controlled by temporary traffic lights when staff are working on site.

The collapsed culvert on the Harray Road (A986) is currently covered by steel plates while replacement options are being investigated. Further information will be provided in due course once replacement works are programmed.

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.

Streetlighting and footway resurfacing is currently underway on Scapa Crescent and are programmed to continue until 5 April. The work will be carried out using a variety of traffic management which will include road closures at times.

Scottish Water started work on Groatsetter Road and Newark Road, Tankerness 16 January with road closures in the area expected to be in place until 10 February to enable new sections of water main to be laid, a signed diversion route will be provided via the A960, Churchyard Road and Shore Road for the duration of the work.

Looking ahead:

The Openreach works on the Yinstay Road, Tankerness, have been rescheduled to commence on 17 February 2023 with completion currently planned for 17 May 2023. Access will be maintained for school transport.

A section of haunch reconstruction on the Old Finstown Road between the access to Cursiter Quarry and Cruan Road from 6 to 31 March, the traffic management for the works will be advised in due course. The works may impact on the Number 7 (Birsay) public bus.