Roads update for 5 August 2024

A summing up of road closures, changes and delays due to road works, events and cruise visits - for the week starting Monday 5 August 2024.

Events:

First up, a reminder that Burgh St car park (at the Kirkwall Police Station) will close all day on Saturday for a road safety event being hosted by the Kirkwall Fire Station. You can find out more about that event, and read District Commander Danny Gall’s personal account of a tragedy that has touched his life, here https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/kirkwall-fire-station-to-host-road-safety-open-day/

And on Thursday 8 August, various roads in Dounby village will close between 18:30 and 20:30 for the Dounby Athletic Club’s Fancy Dress Parade. This includes the main A986 from Smiddybrae House to Nurses Cottage; Swartland Road, from the A986 to Flett’s Park; Vetquoy Road (B9057) from the A986 to the property of Karinya, and Hillside Road from the A986 to Market Green. For full details, read the public notice here https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/temporary-closure-of-roads-in-dounby-for-fancy-dress-parade-1/

Looking ahead a peedie bit to events next weekend:

• Saturday 10 August – The Meadows will close between its junction with Meadow Drive and Meadow Park from 8 am to 5pm and there will be no parking on several approach routes to the showgrounds at Bignold Park. For a full list, head to https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/the-orkney-islands-council-the-meadows-kirkwall-county-show-temporary-closure-order-2024/
• Sunday 11 August – various roads and car park in Kirkwall and St Ola will be subject to closures and parking prohibitions between 11:30am and 6pm for the Riding of the Marches. For full details head here https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/the-riding-of-the-marches-temporary-closure-of-roads-in-kirkwall-and-st-ola/

Road works:

Surface Dressing 2024 

Preparatory works are ongoing on our surface dressing sites and we are updating daily on social media. All works are being carried out under road closure conditions, with diversion routes being in place for affected traffic. 

Surfacing and Haunch Reconstruction

Following the completion of the surface dressing works we will be moving onto our surfacing and haunch reconstruction works. Further information on these works will be provided in due course. 

Holm Road (A961), Kirkwall 

To enable maintenance works to be carried out to the Mash House at the Highland Park Distillery there will be multiple short duration road closures until early November 2024. The current plan is that the closures will be up to a maximum duration of 20 minutes with the closures being carried out at times to try and avoid ferry traffic, commuter traffic and bus services. 

A960, St Andrews & Toab  

Scottish Water works are ongoing with the possibility that there may be the need to use temporary traffic lights on the A960 between the Groatsetter Road and the Stembister Road during the next few weeks as work progresses. This will have an effect on the No3 bus service (Deerness – Tankerness) and general traffic in the area of the works.  

There will also be work taking place on the Groatsetter Road which is likely to cause some delays to traffic over the next couple of weeks. 

Moar Drive, Kirkwall

Moar Drive in Kirkwall will close from Monday, 12 August 2024 for two weeks between its junction with Burnett Brae and Rendall Road, to enable utility connections and other development related works to be carried out.

Cruise-related closures 

No anticipated road closures due to cruise liner visits this week.