Roads update for week starting 4 November 2024

A summing up of road closures and delays due to works and events, for the week starting 4 November 2024.

But first a reminder of road closures for Kirkwall Bonfire Night tomorrow, Saturday 2 November:

Pickaquoy Road between its junction with Great Western Road and Muddisdale Road will be closed on Saturday 2 November between 6:45pm and 10pm for the Kirkwall and St Ola Community Council’s bonfire event. The X1 public bus and the evening bus services (Service 3E to Tankerness-Deerness-East Holm; Service 7E to Evie-Birsay-Dounby-Harray and Service 9E toSt Ola-Orphir) will not operate along Pickaquoy Road.  

Events related road closures coming up:

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 including the main A965 in central Stromness will close 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.  

Ongoing road works closures and delays:  

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.