A major north-east commuter road will be reduced to one lane in both directions from today – for the next four months.
Motorists are being urged to find another route after the contractors behind the new AECC revealed there will be a contraflow in place on the A96 Aberdeen to Inverurie road, between Dyce Drive and the Sclattie roundabout, for the next 18 weeks.
Northbound and southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane at all times until the junction works for the new £333million exhibition centre is complete.
Last night, Robertson Major Projects acknowledged the works would cause delays and encouraged motorists to find another way into the city, particularly at peak times.
Project director Joe McMenamin said: “The scheduled works will cause delays and we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
“We would greatly appreciate if road users can plan ahead and be prepared for longer journey times.” Local representatives said they hoped the contractor had learned its lesson after the latest phase of works caused hours of misery for drivers as they negotiated three-mile tailbacks.
Earlier this month, Dyce Drive shut between its junction with Wellheads Drive and the A96, and motorists found themselves battling to get through the traffic lights on the main road, with some claiming they were only staying green for eight seconds. It took some drivers more than an hour to get from one side of the traffic jam to the other, prompting Robertson to quickly alter the timings of the lights for the home run.
The road, which was only meant to be closed for two weeks, will remain shut until October 26.
And with this latest section altered from today until February, Aberdeen Donside MSP Mark McDonald acknowledged it would lead to frustration for those behind the wheel.
Mr McDonald, who lives in Dyce, said: “Reducing this section of the A96 for a period of 18 weeks through a contraflow system cannot help but create disruption.
“I would hope Robertson will have learned lessons from the closure of Dyce Drive when it comes to traffic signals. However, one potential cause for concern is that the Dyce Drive closure was extended beyond its expected completion date. One would hope that the works requiring these new measures on the A96 won’t be delayed past the 18-week timescale that has been set.”
A similar contraflow system has been in place for several months on the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road, near Stonehaven, as part of the Aberdeen bypass works.
Phil Mills-Bishop, from the town’s community council, warned motorists heading along the A96 from Huntly, Inverurie and Aberdeen to be prepared for long delays and admitted it had been “agonisingly difficult” south of the city.
“Only one lane means that, inevitably, you’re going to get tailbacks, and at almost every peak time. There are tailbacks all the way back to Muchalls sometimes,” he said.
“The most infuriating thing is merging in turn, where drivers on the outside lane race ahead of those acting sensibly in the correct lane, right until the very last minute, and expect to get in.
“I imagine there will be goodwill initially, but after 18 weeks of that, tempers will get a little bit frayed, and I fear that we could see these drivers dangerously rushing ahead in the outside lane on the A96 as well.”
North-east MSP Lewis Macdonald said drivers should think ahead to avoid queues, adding: “I would urge anyone worried about making their way to work on time to set out a little earlier than usual, until we find out what the true impact on traffic is going to be.”
The new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre is due to open in 2019.
