An historic Aberdeen city centre street has closed to cars for the final time today as work gets under way on a multimillion pound pedestrianisation project.
Broad Street is now shut to all traffic to its junction with Queen Street ahead of a £3.2million scheme to transform the road into an area only used by buses and bicycles.
The project is part of the 25-year city centre masterplan, which aims to drive more footfall into the beleaguered area.
The Broad Street work will include the creation of water features, trees, benches, improved lighting, and a raised grass area in front of Marischal College.
Last week, it was agreed that the street would be the venue for this year’s Christmas market, with senior council figures predicting more events would be held there in future.
The traffic lights at Upperkirkgate and Gallowgate are to be removed and replaced with a shared surface for vehicles and a mini-roundabout where pedestrians are given priority.
There will be a Toucan crossing installed at the Union Street end.
Part of Broad Street was closed at 5am this morning, initially to allow building work at Marischal Square and then for the pedestrianisation scheme.
The works are expected to take several months to complete and Broad Street will be closed to all traffic from Upperkirkgate to Queen Street for the duration.
Access to Broad Street from Union Street will remain open to allow access to Queen Street.
Council leader Jenny Laing said: “As an administration we listened to people’s concerns about the city centre and have acted on them.
“We have taken time to draw up a masterplan that would see the city transformed for the future and not just the next few years.”
Council deputy leader Marie Boulton said: “The masterplan is a legacy that been brought forward by this administration and Broad Street is right at the heart of that.
“For years people were saying that nothing was ever done with the city, and I know a lot of young people have told me they were considering leaving because there was nothing here to do.
“But I think projects like Broad Street and Union Terrace Gardens will bring a new vibrancy to the city centre for the future.”
But opposition politicians raised concerns about the imminent project.
SNP infrastructure spokesman Michael Hutchison said the group had been supportive of the Broad Street plans.
But he added: “Since then we have had no assurances from the administration that it will actually be delivered on time and on budget and that must be a concern for everyone given their record on such things.”
Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill, whose party opposed the buses and bikes model, said he hoped a future administration would push for full pedestrianisation in the future.
He said: “Our concerns remain the same, we don’t believe there is such a thing as a shared space and think this is a compromise that could, frankly, risk public safety.
“I know that the Disability Equity Partnership have expressed real concerns and we share these.”
But council roads spokesman Ross Grant dismissed traffic concerns.
He said: “I think that full pedestrianisation would lead to madness honestly.
“Our officers conducted vigilant traffic monitoring and came to the conclusion part- pedestrianisation would be the best for the city.”
