Roads update for week starting Monday 7 April 2025

A summing up of road delays and closures due to road and building/utility works, cruise visits and events - for the week starting Monday 7 April 2025. 

You can zoom in for a detailed view of roadworks carried out by the Council at www.orkney.gov.uk/roads

Road works and closures by other bodies are published on the Scottish Road Works Commissioner website 

Starting in the coming week:   

Kirkwall Slab Repairs  

Slab repair works by OIC will start in central Kirkwall from Monday 7 April 2025, for around three weeks. Road closures will be required on Albert Street, Bridge Street, Victoria Street and Main Street at different stages. For the week starting 7 April, Bridge Street will close from The Brig Larder to the bottom of Laing street; from around Thursday 10 April the Bridge Street closure will then move onto between the bottom of Laing Street to Broad Street. Further information on subsequent road closures will be provided prior to the works commencing. 

Gorseness Road, Rendall  

From Monday 7 April 2025 OIC will be carrying out essential drainage works at Gorseness Road, Rendall. Works will be carried out under road closure conditions and will take place during the school holidays. The closure is towards the Tingwall end of Gorseness Road, near the access to Orquil Farm. 

Haybrake Road, South Ronaldsay  

From Monday 7 April 2025 OIC will be carrying out culvert repairs on the Haybrake Road, South Ronaldsay, with a closure between Mount Pleasant and the turn off to Little Claybraes. Works are expected to take around a week to complete.

Cruise and Community Events 

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:  

There are no road closures for the week starting Monday 7 April 

View anticipated closures for the season at this public notice:  The Orkney Islands Council (Cruise Liners) (Temporary Closure) Order 2025  

Ongoing closures and delays:   

St Catherine’s Place, Kirkwall  

OIC is carrying out surfacing works on St Catherine’s Place, Kirkwall, from Tuesday 1 April 2025 with the work expected to take around two weeks to complete. Works will be carried out under road closure conditions. There is no impact on public buses. A signed diversion will be in place via Junction Road. 

Junction Road, Kirkwall (near Albert Hotel) 

Junction Road near the Albert Hotel still has some restrictions and delays as work remains ongoing at the site. A scaffold tower is still in place at the hotel which will restrict the free flow of traffic and there may be short road closures during the working day to enable materials to be delivered. 

Looking further ahead:    

Grainshore Road, Kirkwall  

From Monday 14 April 2025 OIC will be carrying out surfacing/haunch works on Grainshore Road, Kirkwall. The works are expected to take around one week to complete. There will be a road closure between Crowness Crecent and Hatson Pier. Access to Crowness Road will be under two-way traffic signals. The closures will affect cruise liner buses, however the the X1 bus will not be impacted  

Work Road, Kirkwall   

From 28 April, OIC will be carrying out surfacing works on Work Road, Kirkwall, between the Craigiefield junction and Weyland Farm, for approximately one week. Works will be under road closure conditions and will affect the No 9 Kirkwall Town bus service. (The No 9 Town Service bus will not cover Work Road, Craigiefield and Carness Road – it will divert after Orkney College to Islands View Road via Moar Drive). 

 Pipersquoy Road, Kirkwall   

From Thursday 24 April 2025, SSEN will carrying out maintenance to their substation on Pipersquoy Road, Kirkwall. Works will be completed under road closure conditions and are expected to take just one day to complete - however the work is weather dependent so the road closure date may change. The works will have an effect on the Number 9 bus service (Kirkwall Town service). No 9 Town Service bus will go via Holm Branch Road onto Holm Road and wait at the top of Quoybanks Crescent. 

Stromness Slab Repairs 

Slab repair works in central Stromness are currently planned to start from Monday 28 April 2025, with the works expected to take around three weeks to complete, carried out under road closure in stages. The works will affect Alfred Street, Dundas Street, Graham Place, John Street, Ness Road, South End and Victoria Street. Further information on the dates of the various road closures will be provided prior to work starting.