Roads update for week starting 19 August 2024
Date: 15 August 2024
Time: 01:00
A summing up of road works underway or soon to start in the county - for the week starting Monday 19 August 2024.
Emergency update from Scottish Water as at 4pm Thursday 15 August:
There’s a burst water pipe, flooding and road closure for emergency repairs on Moss Road in Holm in the vicinity of Mill Bridge. We will pass on updates as we receive them from Scottish Water. However we'd encourage folks affected to follow updates from Scottish Water at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/In-Your-Area/Service-Updates/KW17-Holm-15082024 and sign up for text alerts (using postcode KW17 2SA) at Sign Up for Alerts · Scottish Water (microsoftcrmportals.com).
Road works, closures and delays:
East Kirk car park closure this weekend
The East Kirk car park in Kirkwall (the car park containing the Guide Hall, uphill from the Council offices) will close from this Friday (16 August) afternoon at 5pm, to enable the team to prepare for line painting works there on Saturday (17 August). Folks will be able to exit the car park after 5pm on Friday via the usual one-way exit but are asked to ensure there are no vehicles left in the car park by early on Saturday morning.
Clay Loan / Manse Lane, Kirkwall
Manse Lane will be closed from Monday 19 August 2024 for around 4 weeks to enable works to replace a sub-station at the junction with Manse Road and Clay Loan to be replaced. As part of the works there will also be works being carried out on Clay Loan which will involve the road being narrowed slightly or for temporary traffic signals to be used as and when required.
Surface Dressing 2024
The surface dressing works are ongoing on the main A961 in South Ronaldsay with road closures and delays from Monday 12 August, between Barswick and the Sandwick Junction. Drivers should allow up to half an hour for delays.
Crews treated one lane between the turnoff to Olav’s Woods and the old Tomison’s Academy on Thursday 15 August and will be starting on the other lane tomorrow, Friday 16 August (they plan to start again at the St Olav’s Woods turnoff and work southwards).
Drivers are reminded that clean up, sweeping and re-lining works are ongoing at several locations – please heed speed limits for everyone’s safety and drive courteously and with care around anyone working on our roads.
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.
Holm Road (A961), Kirkwall
Drivers should allow for multiple short duration road closures from 15 April 2024 to early November 2024 associated with works to Highland Park Distillery. Closures are expected to be up to 20 minutes at a time, carried out at times to 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, which will have an effect on the No3 bus service (Deerness – Tankerness) and general traffic in the area of the works.
There will also be some work taking place on the Tankerness Hall Road near Whitecrest Park / Whitecleat which are also likely to cause some delays to traffic over the next couple of weeks.
Looking ahead:
Festive lighting preparations
From 26 August for around a week we’ll carry out testing of festive lighting anchor points. Roads may close for short durations to enable crews to safely carry out the checks. At this stage and all going well we plan to be in Kirkwall on the 26th and 27th; St Margarets Hope on the 27th, and in Stromness on the 28th.
- Kirkwall - will impact Albert Street; Bridge Street; Broad Street, Castle Street, from car park exit to Broad Street; Main Street; Palace Road from Broad Street to Watergate; and Victoria Street.
- Stromness - will impact Ferry Road, from Stromness Ferry Terminal car park exit to Victoria Street; Victoria Street; and Graham Place.
- St Margaret’s Hope - will impact Cromarty Square; and Back Road.
Road resurfacing and shoulder/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. Revised indicative dates are as follows:
- Ayre Road, Kirkwall - Monday 2 September to Friday 6 September
- Marwick Drive (bus services will be affected) - Monday 9 September to Thursday 12 September
- Back Road, St Margarets Hope (bus services will be affected) - Friday 13 September to Friday 20 September
- Shapinsay - dates and locations TBC
- Tingwall, Rendall - dates and locations TBC
Cruise update:
Anticipated road closures in Kirkwall for the week ahead in relation to cruise liner visits are as follows. Please note this information may change at short notice due to bad weather or as passenger numbers are confirmed.
- Sunday 18 August 2024 - Albert Street and Bridge Street in Kirkwall will close between 10am and 1pm.
- Wednesday 21 August 2024 - Albert Street and Bridge Street in Kirkwall will close between 1pm and 4pm.
Check the anticipated road closures for the 2024 tourism season in the public notice at https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/the-orkney-islands-council-cruise-liners-temporary-closure-order-2024/
