AWPR workers have been accused of misdirecting traffic on to an unfinished section of the road, causing one car to crash.
A car drove into a trench while other vehicles, including a bus full of passengers, were forced to come to a halt southbound on the A90 Aberdeen to Fraserburgh road due to the new layout which is part of the ongoing dualling works.
Last night Transport Scotland said it was looking into the matter after police had to be called to re-direct traffic.
But one witness, who did not wish to be named, branded the roadworks a “shambles” and said someone could have been badly injured.
The motorist spotted a driver standing next to her car after she became stuck in a man-made ditch while coming on to the road from Blackdog, at about 7pm.
The pair were then forced to flag down a Stagecoach North number 60 Aberdeen to Ellon bus before it wound up in the same position. He said: “The same diversion has been in place for weeks but now they’ve changed the road layout with no signs or cones, it’s a disaster.
“They just lifted the cones and left a big sign saying buses and cars only. If we hadn’t been there to flag the bus down there could have been a big accident.”
Last night, North East MSP Peter Chapman said it was vital contractors put the correct traffic measures in place.
He said: “This is a very unfortunate incident that could have had much more serious consequences. With darkness falling earlier now, there is a far greater chance of drivers getting into difficulties if the traffic control measures are not right.
“I’m sure the operator will be keeping a closer eye on this in future to make sure there is no repeat of this incident.” Meanwhile Stagecoach confirmed the service had been delayed for about 15 minutes and also said it had raised the issue with contractors Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL).
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “ARL have confirmed they attended the incident last night along with Police Scotland and are currently investigating to ensure that appropriate actions are taken and lessons learned are implemented in the future planning of traffic management.”