Years of congestion on a busy north-east road will come to an end today, as a £10.2million alternative opens.
The new-look Inveramsay bridge, near Pitcaple, Inverurie, is due to open today, although there will be temporary traffic management measures in place.
The previous route was a well-known bottleneck for commuters travelling along the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness Road, with traffic building up both north and south of the low bridge, which was controlled by traffic lights.
Transport Scotland launched work to revise the route, which will take motorists along a new one-mile longs stretch from Milton of Inveramsay Farm to Pitcaple Wood.
A new crossing has also been built enabling the realignment of the road across the Aberdeen to Inverness railway, complete with an underpass for farm vehicles.
Yesterday, Transport Minister Derek Mackay travelled to the north-east to announce the project was completed.
He said: “For years drivers and local communities who use this section of the A96 have endured delays to their journeys with this bottleneck earning notoriety as one of the worst in the country.
“The old rail bridge was simply not fit for purpose and is why the Scottish Government committed to tackling a unique set of engineering challenges to help bring the A96 at this location up to 21st century standards.
“We wanted to ensure drivers and local communities who have waited patiently for the upgrade feel the benefits at the earliest opportunity.”
But last night, Inverurie councillor Richard Cowling warned the project may not bring an end to the Garioch town’s traffic woes.
He warned of continuing congestion at the roundabout on the A96 onto Inverurie’s Blackhall Road – which he has nicknamed “the magic roundabout” due to its confusing lane system.
He said: “Unfortunately while it will do some good for the traffic going north and south, the only place it will really do a lot of good is the back road through the Chapel of Garioch, which had become a rat run.
“The traffic will be coming through the Morrison’s ‘magic’ roundabout, and coming through Inverurie will become more and more disturbed.”
