Roads update for week starting 17 June 2024

A summing up of closures and delays due to road works, events or cruise visits - for the week starting Monday 17 June 2024.

Events related closures

Kirkwall City Pipe Band parades (various dates)

Roads in central Kirkwall are closed for upcoming Kirkwall City Pipe Band parades on 15 June and 22 June. 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 starting Saturday 1 June through to 3 August (inclusive) and also on 22 June and 7 September between 6:30pm and 8:30pm for the Kirkwall City Pipe Band parades.  Check the date of the next parade in the public notice. 

Firth Gala Day Fancy Dress Parade (15 June)

The following roads in Firth, including the main A965 through Finstown, will close on Saturday, 15 June 2024 from 7:15pm to 8:30pm for the Firth Gala.

• The A965 from the Pomona Inn to Old Finstown Road;
• the Old Finstown Road from the A965 to Acre Lea;
• Acre Lea Road

Orkney Vintage Club Motorcycle Show (Saturday 15 June)

Roads will close in central Kirkwall on 15 June between 12:30pm and 17:30pm for the Orkney Vintage Club hold a Motorcycle Show. Roads affected are Albert Street (from Laing Street to Broad Street);  Broad Street (from Albert Street to Palace Road); Broad Street car park; Castle Street (from Broad Street to car park exit).

Orkney Rowing Club Event (Saturday 15 June)

Part of Scapa Bay Road, St Ola (B9053) will close for an Orkney Rowing Club event, on Saturday 15 June 2024, from 7:45am to 7:30pm. Scapa Bay Road will close from its junction with the B9148 (New Scapa Road) to the access to the property of Scapa Haven, St Ola.

Orkney Pride Event (29 June)

Broad Street Car park, Kirkwall: 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.

Road works

A960 (Kirkwall to Airports Road) - Wideford Burn bridge repair

Our Roads team are working on the A960 (Deerness Road) - between Kirkwall and the airport - from tomorrow (Friday 7 June), to repair the bridge over the Wideford Burn (where the bridleway from Inganess Beach crosses over the A960).

These works started on Friday 7 June and expected to take around three to four weeks to complete. Temporary traffic lights are in place, with short delays to traffic including the No 3 (Deerness) and No 4 (Airport) bus services. 

A964 between Smoogro Road to Orphir Village

Works started on 12 April 2024 to address defects on a two 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.

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 here.

Looking Ahead:

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

Preparatory works have started on our surface dressing sites for this year, and surface dressing operations will start from 1 July, with roads closed while dressing is underway. 

Approximate site locations are as noted below. Further details of traffic management and dates for the various surface dressing sites will be provided in due course. Preview indicative dates at www.orkney.gov.uk/roads

• 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

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:

• Saturday 15 June - closure of Bridge Street and Albert Street.
• Sunday 16 June - closure of Bridge Street and Albert Street.

View anticipated closures for the season at this public notice.