Local authority chiefs last night ramped-up the pressure on the Scottish Government over plans to get rid of the worst traffic bottleneck in the north-east.
They said they were “ready, willing but unable” to start work at Aberdeen’s notorious Haudagain roundabout.
And a senior member of the city council’s Labour-led administration urged Scottish Government ministers to “press the green button” on the long-awaited project.
The Haudagain was once dubbed the worst roundabout in Britain and studies have estimated the hold-ups it causes where the A90 and A96 meet are costing the region’s economy up to £30million a year.
Now a new report has revealed Aberdeen City Council is “well advanced” with the job of moving tenants out of their homes to clear the way for a £30million congesting-busting scheme.
A 2008 government report identified a link road through Middlefield – a so-called Haudagain bypass – as the way of ending years of traffic misery.
Construction will be a joint venture between the city council and Transport Scotland and is due to start after the completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) next year and take up to two years.
The project involves moving 136 households – and the new report shows just 20 still have to be shifted.
The report reads: “Process of identifying properties for moving the 136 households is well advanced with 109 moved, two waiting for completion of works with five under offer, leaving 20 to rehouse.
“Officers are working with these households on an individual basis.”
City council 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.”
Aberdeen Donside MSP Mark McDonald welcomed the tenants moving and did not rule out a potential early start to the project.
But he added: “A key thing in all this is traffic, 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.
Transport Scotland did not respond to a request for a comment last night.
