Roads update for week starting 11 November 2024

A summing up of closures and delays on our roads due to road and building works and community events - for the week starting 11 November 2024.

But first, a reminder of events-related closures this coming weekend:

Kirkwall Remembrance Day service and wreath laying – 10 November

Roads will close in central Kirkwall on Sunday 10 November 2024, as needed between 10am and 1pm, for the Remembrance Day service and wreath laying ceremony in Broad Street, Kirkwall. Roads affected are: Albert Street (Laing Street to Broad Street); Broad Street; Broad Street car park; Castle Street; Junction Road (Pickaquoy Road to the entrance to Castle Street car park); Palace Road; Tankerness Lane; Victoria Street (from Broad Street to Victoria Road); Watergate (from Buttquoy Place to Palace Road), and West Tankerness Lane. Public buses No. 9 (Town Service) and No. 4 (Airport) will be affected.  

Stromness Remembrance Day Parade – 10 November

Roads will close in central Stromness and on the main A965 on Sunday 10 November 2024, as needed between the hours of 10.30am and 1pm, for the Remembrance Day Parade. Roads affected by the closure are:  Victoria Street; John Street; North End Road (from John Street to North End Roundabout); the A965 (from North End Roundabout to Stromness Swimming Pool car park); and the Hillside Road to A965 link road. Motorists are advised to travel ‘over the hill’ via Howe Road/Cairston Road to and from Stromness during these times to avoid the closures.  The mid-day X1 public bus will divert over Howe Road and Cairston Road and will still be able to service the Ferry Terminal. 

Road works closures and delays: 

B9052 Greameshall

The B9052 between its junction with the A961 and Moss Road (War Memorial) will be closed during the working day from Monday 11 November 2024 for around a week to enable works to the sea wall to be carried out in safety. Work will take place between school transport times. Diversions will be via A961 to Kirkwall and Moss Road - folks needing to access the airport during the works should bear this in mind and allow extra time for their journey.

Festive Lighting Installation

All festive lighting installation work will be carried out under road closures conditions as detailed below. 

• Cromarty Square, St Margaret’s Hope - Monday 11 November 2024, access to Hope Primary School, bus services and ferry traffic will be accommodated.
• Graham Place & Victoria Street, Stromness – Tuesday 12 November 2024, works will start at the Town House and progress to Graham Place under a rolling road closure.
• Broad Street, Kirkwall – Tuesday 12 November 2024, 18:00 to 22:00, bus services will be accommodated.
• Albert Street & Bridge Street, Kirkwall – Wednesday 13 November 2024,09:00 to 15:00.
• Victoria Street & Main Street – Thursday 14 November 2024, 09:00 to 15:00.

A966, Skiddy Road to Gorseness Road, Rendall

Road reconstruction works commenced on Monday 30 September and are currently expected to be completed during week commencing Monday 16 December 2024. Work will be carried out under traffic lights and temporary 30mph speed limits. 

Old Finstown Road, Glaitness Road, Kirkwall

Streetlighting works are ongoing between Liberator Drive and Soulisquoy Loan, with the work expected to take around 12 weeks to complete. There will be temporary traffic signals in use for the duration of the works. There will be short delays for all traffic including the No. 9 (Town) and No. 7 (Birsay/Dounby) public bus services. As part of the traffic management for these works, there will be short delays on footways through this site of up to 15 minutes in duration. Operatives will be on hand to escort pedestrians through the site as needed. It is advised that pedestrians use the Liberator to Muddisdale Road route, where possible, in order to avoid delays. Segregated pedestrian walkways will be reinstated outside of working hours. 

Junction Road, Kirkwall

Junction Road will be closed outside the Albert Hotel (between its junctions with the Albert Street car park and Burnmouth Road), as needed from Monday 16 September 2024, for approximately six months as building works are carried out on the Albert Hotel. A signed diversion for motorists and buses will be in place via Ayre Road, Borough Road (past the Police Station) and Great Western Road. Drivers are advised to keep to the diversions as much as possible and avoid using West Castle Street due to bus traffic. Folks wishing to use the Albert Street car park will need to approach via the Kiln Corner roundabout.

Holm Road (A961), Kirkwall

Potential for multiple short duration road closures from 15 April 2024 to early November 2024 while works are carried out on Highland Park Distillery. Closures will be up to a maximum duration of 20 minutes , and carried out around ferry traffic, commuter traffic and bus services.

Looking further ahead:

• Junction Road and Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall - Road closures and temporary traffic signals in connection with building works 
• Pier Road, St Margaret’s Hope – Localised reconstruction, details of traffic management TBC.
• King Street, Kirkwall - Reconstruction works details TBC.