Roads update for week starting 1 July 2024

A summing up of closures and delays due to roadworks, events or cruise visits – for the week starting Monday 1 July 2024. 

Events related closures  

Kirkwall City Pipe Band parades (various dates) 

Roads in central Kirkwall are closed for upcoming Kirkwall City Pipe Band parade on Saturday 6 July. Closures will affect Albert Street from Laing Street to Broad Street; Broad Street from Albert Street to Palace Road; and Castle Street from Broad Street to the car park exit on Castle Street. Note these roads in central Kirkwall will close alternate Saturdays through to 3 August (inclusive) and also on 7 September between 6:30pm and 8:30pm. Check the date of the next parade in the public notice. 

Orkney Pride Event Saturday 29 June 

Broad Street Car Park, Kirkwall, will close on Saturday, 29 June 2024 between 8am and 6pm, for an Orkney Pride event. 

RNLI Stromness event – Sunday 30 June 

Ferry Road in Stromness will close between 8:30am and 5:30pm on Sunday 30 June, from the exit from the Stromness Ferry Terminal car park, to Victoria Street, for an RNLI event. 

St Magnus Marathon – Sunday 7 July  

Roads will close in central Kirkwall on Sunday, 7 July 2024 between 7:30am and 11:00am, for the St Magnus Marathon. Albert Street, Bridge Street, Broad Street (from Albert Street to Palace Road); and Castle Street (from car park exit to Broad Street) will be affected. Central Kirkwall bus passengers are advised to board and disembark at the Kirkwall Travel Centre. 

Cruise 

Anticipated road closures for the week ahead in central Kirkwall between the hours of 10am and 4pm, in relation to cruise liner visits, are as follows. Please note these closures can be cancelled at short notice due to changes in confirmed passenger numbers or bad weather cancellations by liners: 

Wednesday 3 July – closure of Albert Street and Bridge Street.

View anticipated closures for the season https://www.orkney.gov.uk/News?postid=9077 

Roadworks:  

Holm Road (A961), Kirkwall 

To enable maintenance works at the Highland Park Distillery there will be multiple short duration road closures from 15 April 2024 to 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 school transport, ferry traffic, commuter traffic and bus services. 

A960, St Andrews and Toab  

Scottish Water may install temporary traffic lights on the A960 (Kirkwall to Deerness road) between the B9052 (the road past St Andrews Primary School) and the Stembister Road during the next few weeks as their work in the area progresses. This may involve short delays for the No3 bus service (Deerness – Tankerness) and to general traffic in the area.  

Whitechapel Lane, Kirkwall 

Whitechapel Lane will close from 1 May 2024 to 31 December 2024, between Victoria Street and Junction Road, as needed for property building works. View the traffic order https://www.orkney.gov.uk/News?postid=9196 

Moar Drive Kirkwall – July to December 

Moar Drive in Kirkwall will close from Monday, 1 July 2024 through to December, between its junction with Burnett Brae and Rendall Road, when required for utility connections and other development related works. 

Manse Road and Malisburgh Road, Deerness 

Malisburgh Road and Manse Road (between the property West Manse and B9050), Deerness, will close when required between Tuesday, 2 July 2024 to Tuesday, 9 July 2024 to enable cable works. 

Surface Dressing 2024 

Our summer surface dressing programme gets underway from 1 July, with full road closures in place. Preview the list of sites and indicative dates at www.orkney.gov.uk/roads 

The first few sites are as follows: 

Stoneyhill Road, Harray (full extent) – 1 to 3 July: Signed diversion will be via the main A986 from Dounby and the main A965 Kirkwall to Stromness road, or via A965 to Brodgar Road, the A967 and Vetquoy Road to Dounby. 

Netherborough Road, Harray (from the A986 to Russland Road) – 4 July: Signed diversion will be via the main A986 from Dounby and the main A965 Kirkwall to Stromness road, or via A965 to Brodgar Road, the A967 and Vetquoy Road to Dounby. 

Hundland Road (from Wattle Road to Nisthouse Road) – 5 to 9 July: Signed diversion will be around the Loch of Boardhouse via Wattle Road, Birsay crossroads. 

A966 Birsay – From The Palace to Cross roads (A966/A967 junction) – This closure will affect public bus Services No 6 (Tingwall and Evie) and No 7 (Birsay and Dounby). However, the roads operators are aware and will let the public buses through at The Palace in Birsay.