Roads Update for week starting 15 April 2024

A summing up of road works and closures underway or soon to start in the county - for the week starting Monday 15 April 2024.

Road works, closures and delays:

A964 between Smoogro Road to Orphir Village

Works started on 12 April 2024 to address defects and on a 2 mile stretch of the A964 between the 30mph signs on the east (Kirkwall) side of Orphir village and the junction with Smoogro Road. Work is expected to take several weeks to complete and at times will involve full but short duration road closures – however work will mostly be carried out under traffic lights, with some delays to all traffic including the No 2 Houton Ferry bus service. Smoogro Road will remain open for use by vehicles throughout the works.

Kirkwall Slab Repairs

Works are currently planned to start during week commencing Monday 8 April 2024, for a duration of three weeks. There will be road closures in place whilst works are ongoing. Pedestrian access will be maintained. It’s planned to open up affected sections of road at nights and the weekends where possible. Delivery drivers should speak to site foreperson to arrange access. Residents should present waste and recycling as usual.
•    Week 1 – Bridge Street to the bottom of Laing Street – Complete
•    Week 2 – The bottom of Laing Street to Broad Street– Started 12 April 2024
•    Week 3 – Victoria Street – Starting week commencing 15 April 2024

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 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.

Scottish Water  -  Groatsetter Road & Shore Road, Tankerness - road closures

Due to material supply issues there will still be a need for road closures at times on both roads, however the road closure will only be when required and will be at times to try and avoid school transport and the No 3 (Deerness) bus service.

Looking Ahead:

B9055 (Brodgar Road)

It is currently planned to close the B9055 from the Standing Stones of Stenness lay-by to the property of Bridgend, from Tuesday 23 April 2024 to Friday 3 May 2024, to enable repairs to be carried to the bridge between the Harray Loch and Stenness Loch following a recent accident.

Looking Further Ahead:

Surface Dressing 2024

We will be carrying out some surface dressing related works this year between mid May and early August. Initially between mid May and mid June we will be carrying out preparatory works with the actual surfacing dressing works currently planned to commence on Monday 24 June 2024, the approximate site location are as noted below.

Further detail of traffic management to be used and dates for the various sites will be provided in due course.

A966, Birsay
Hundland Road, Birsay
Netherbrough Road, Harray
Stoneyhill Road, Harray  
East Road, Kirkwall
Foreland Road, Kirkwall
Marwick Drive, Kirkwall
Mooney Drive, Kirkwall
Germistion Road, Orphir
A967, Sandwick
Brodgar Road, Sandwick
Swartland Road, Sandwick
A961, South Ronaldsay
Shore Road, St Andrews
Garson Road, Stromness

For more information on roadworks in Orkney please visit www.orkney.gov.uk/roadworks