Hopes were raised last night that work on one of the UK’s most notorious traffic blackspots could get underway sooner than expected after a new report revealed the authority was “well advanced” in moving tenants out of the way of a multi-million pound link road through an Aberdeen housing estate.
The Haudagain roundabout has been a byword for delay and frustration for generations of Aberdonian motorists.
The reputation of the bottleneck is so bad that In May 2011 it was crowned Britain’s worst roundabout in Roundabout Idol 2011.
But a 2008 Scottish Government report identified a link road through Middlefield, a so-called Haudagain bypass, could bring the traffic misery to an end.
Construction on the £30million scheme, a joint venture between the city council and Transport Scotland, is due to begin after the completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) next year and take up to two years.
For the road to be constructed 136 households must be moved from the path of the road and the new report shows now just 20 stand in the way.
In December, John Swinney raised hopes that work to improve Aberdeen’s Haudagain roundabout could start as early as next year – only for them to be quickly dashed by his own staff.
The finance secretary announced to great fanfare that “work will begin in 2016-17” at the notorious junction. But that was almost immediately rejected by Transport Scotland – the body responsible for delivering the £30million project – which said construction would not begin until the end of 2017 at the earliest.
Last night senior administration members said they were “ready, willing and unable” to get on with the work adding that all was needed was for Scottish Government chiefs to “press the green button”.
The report reads: “Process of identifying properties for moving the 136 households is well advanced with 109 moved, 2 waiting for completion of works with 5 under offer leaving 20 to rehouse. Officers are working with these households on an individual basis.”
Finance convener Willie Young said: “We are ready and raring to move this forward, all we need is the nod from the Scottish Government.
“Once these 20 tenants are moved, and I’m confident they will be soon, then we are all ready to go.
“I think everyone in Aberdeen wants to see this happen and now a plan is in place my message is let’s get on with it.”
Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill said: “The project appears to be well underway and bringing the uncertainty of tenants to an end.
“I would encourage the Scottish Government and council to work together.”
Kevin Delaney head of road safety at IAM Road Smart, the Institute of Andvanced Motorists, said: “The whole purpose of a roundabout is to smooth the traffic flow and to make it safer for motorists…The concept of the roundabout is a sort a nirvana; it’s going to cure all your ills.
“In practise the never quite work out like that and sometimes they are the victim of their own success.”
Mr Delaney said improvements could “only be a good thing” but said those doing the work should minimise disruption.
Aberdeen Donside MSP Mark McDonald welcomed the tenants moving and didn’t rule out a potential early start to the project.
But he added: “A key thing in all this is traffic displation, the AWPR will reduce traffic allowing us to get on with the work.
“My understanding is that it won’t go ahead until then but nothing can be ruled out.”
The scheme, will involve a new dualled link road connecting North Anderson Drive with Auchmill Road, is now more than double the £14.5million initially estimated in 2007.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said:
“The Scottish Government has given a clear commitment to starting improvements to Haudagain Roundabout once the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) is completed.
“Draft Orders for the scheme were published on 26 June 2015.
“A number of objections to the draft Orders were received and a review of those objections is currently being undertaken to determine whether a Public Local Inquiry should be held.
“We understand the frustration felt by road users affected by the longstanding traffic bottleneck at Haudagain and we remain on target to start the work once the AWPR is completed.”
