Roads update for week starting 2 September 2024

A summing up of road delays and closures due to works and events, underway or soon to start in the county - for the week starting Monday 2 September 2024.

Events road closures 

Kirkwall City Pipe Band - Saturday, 7 September 2024

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, between the hours of 1830 and 2030.

Science Festival - Saturday 7 September 2024

Roads and car parks in central Kirkwall will close on Saturday 7 September between the hours of 12 midday and 5:30pm on Saturday, in connection with the Science Festival. The closures will be Albert Street (from Laing Street to Broad Street); Broad Street (from Albert Street to Palace Road) and Broad Street car park; and Castle Street (from the car park exit to Broad Street). The closure will affect the No 9 Town Service and No 4 Airport buses via Broad Street /Palace Road - passengers to/from central Kirkwall should plan to board/disembark at the Kirkwall Travel Centre.

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.

• Saturday 31 August - closure of Albert Street and Bridge Street, Kirkwall, between the hours of 10am and 4pm.

Road works, closures and delays:

Germiston Road, Orphir

Germiston Road will be closed between Nisthouse and Eastaben Farm from Thursday 4 September 2024 to enable survey works to be carried out, depending on the findings of the survey work the road may have to remain closed to carry out repair works. No public buses affected.

Ayre Road, Kirkwall - from Tuesday 3 September to Monday 9 September inclusive (reconstruction works)

Ayre Road will be closed on a short stretch between the Shapinsay slip and Kiln Corner roundabout. The diversion for motorists will be via Junction Road, Pickaquoy Road and Ayre Mills roundabout. Although other ‘shortcuts’ are available they involve negotiating narrow points prone to congestion due to parked vehicles etc so we’d recommend drivers follow the signed diversions as far as possible. Following the signed diversions will likely be quicker and less stressful – and it will also help public buses remain on schedule. 

Marwick Drive - from Tuesday 10 September to Friday 13 September (reconstruction works)

Marwick Road will be closed to enable work on speed reduction features. The No 9 Town bus service will be affected and will be unable to serve Marwick Drive and Muir Drive. We acknowledge this area has had significant disruption already this summer as we undertake much needed works – this should be the last of the works in this area for a while. Thank you for your ongoing patience.

Back Road, St Margarets Hope - Monday 16 September to Monday 23 September (reconstruction works)

Back Road will be closed for reconstruction works. The X1 public bus and school transport bus #33 will be affected – buses won’t be able to serve Back Road/Church Road and will travel via St Margarets Road (the new road past Braeburn Court supported accommodation) instead in both directions. Passengers can meet the buses at Cromarty Square or just downhill from the Back Road/Church Street junction.

Junction Road, Kirkwall

Junction Road will be closed between its junctions with the Albert Street car park and Burnmouth Road, from Monday 16 September 2024, for approximately six months as building works are carried out on the Albert Hotel.

Old Finstown Road, Glaitness Road, Kirkwall

Streetlighting works are planned between Liberator Drive and Soulisquoy Loan, from Monday 23 September 2024 for around 12 weeks. 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.

Ongoing works:

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 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. 

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

Our 2024 summer surface dressing works are nearing completion with follow-up line painting and sweeping at the sites - please be mindful of crews out and about at these locations:

• 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

Looking further ahead:

• A965 Stenness  - reconstruction works from Monday 30 September to Monday 18 November September. Details TBC.
• Rendall, Skiddy Road to Gorseness Road - reconstruction works from Tuesday 24 September and Wednesday 25 September. Details TBC.
• King Street, Kirkwall - reconstruction work from Monday 25 November to Friday 20 December. Details TBC.