Scotland’s Transport Secretary has hailed the “transformative” impact a stretch of the AWPR will have as soon as it opens today.
The 20-mile Craibstone to Stonehaven section of the £1billion bypass is expected to be fully open to drivers from about 6am.
The move follows mounting frustration about it remaining closed for the past two months, despite being ready to host traffic.
Yesterday, Transport Secretary Michael Matheson visited the southern section of bypass as final preparations for its opening were carried out.
He said that, from today, motorists fed up with congestion in the centre of Aberdeen should notice an immediate difference as traffic will join the bypass, reducing journey times.
Mr Matheson added: “This section being open means that 85% of the AWPR is now in operation, with just the Don Crossing section still to come.
“We hope that will be finished by Christmas, though the work is weather-sensitive.
“We have been working really hard to get the Craibstone to Stonehaven section open as quickly as possible, and it will make a massive difference to the travelling public.
“This will drive traffic out onto the bypass, freeing up city roads.”
Slip roads leading on to the section will open in phased fashion, throughout the course of today.
Last week, it emerged that the cost of the project had rocketed from £745million to about £1billion following a string of delays in its completion.
Mr Matheson yesterday said that it was up to the contractors, Aberdeen Roads Limited, to “substantiate” that claim before the government would be forced to pay out the additional cost.
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On the day that a new section of the A90 opened to traffic in August, after being upgraded as part of work on the AWPR, police caught 10 motorists speeding along it and an already-open section of the bypass between Blackdog and Dyce nearby.
Officers will ramp up patrols along the Craibstone to Stonehaven road today in an effort to deter speeders.
The force’s safety camera unit manager, Arron Duncan, said: “We will have highly visible mobile safety camera vans at the side of the road monitoring traffic flow.
“We’re not there to hide or catch people speeding, we’re in place to deter them from doing so and make sure their behaviour on the route is appropriate.”
Chief Inspector Stewart Mackie, from the roads department, added: “For the first few weeks we will have enhanced patrols to ensure the safety of the public.”
He urged motorists to “take their time” on the new road, and “use it responsibly”.
Mr Matheson added: “The new road has been designed to high safety standards, but it is a new road and it is important motorists exert care as they become familiar with it.”
