A major Aberdeen roundabout could be removed and replaced with a junction during the next phase of the South College Street improvement works.
South College Street links to North Esplanade West, Riverside Drive, and the Queen Elizabeth Bridge (Wellington Road, A956) by a roundabout.
But now under the latest improvement plans, the roundabout near BP could be completely removed and replaced by a new junction with traffic lights.
The busy area is used by commuters every day, and is also a key HGV route to the city centre and harbour.
However, council planning chiefs believe replacing the roundabout with a junction will make the area safer for “all road users”, encouraging active travel and helping “future bus priority measures”.
This latest proposed layout shake-up could be carried out during the next phase of the long-running South College Street improvement works despite concerns it would cause “more unwanted chaos”.
What does the junction look like and when might work start?
The junction would have a four-stage traffic light system and staggered individual crossings at each arm.
There will be a mix of cycle lanes and shared cycle and footway paths.
No changes would be made to the Queen Elizabeth Bridge because it is not wide enough to add a shared path.
It is unclear how much this project would cost or when work could start.
However, officers admitted there is currently no funding for the project, meaning the council will need to seek additional cash from elsewhere.
Until funding is secured, the project will not go ahead.
Convener Ian Yuill said: “This is a stage on a journey, it is not a final decision, and not least because there is currently a distinct lack of funding.
“But, I think it is important we have city roads that accommodate all road users and particularly the safest possible junctions for all road users, whether you’re on foot, wheeling, cycling or driving a vehicle.”
Long winding road for South College Street works
Plans to improve South College Street have been on the cards for nearly 20 years but work only began in summer 2022.
During the first phase of the project, the busy commuter road was shut to all traffic, causing congestion, queues and traffic across the city.
The multi-million-pound project included widening roads, new cycle routs and revamped parking areas outside the railway arches.
These works coincided with upgrade work at King George VI Bridge which caused months of misery for drivers.
But, according to the council, the new measures were designed to draw traffic away from the city centre by reducing congestion, and improving bus journey times.
Roundabout replacement ‘not necessary and not wanted’
The plans to replace the existing roundabout with a signalled junction have been slammed as “more unwanted chaos”.
Councillor Duncan Massey argues that the layout change is “not necessary and not wanted”.
The council carried out a survey and many respondents shared concerns about delays and tailbacks.
While council planning chiefs believe the new junction will improve cycle links in the city, 70% of respondents said they were against the plans and wanted to keep, but improve, the existing roundabout.
However, city planners have argued most people who took part in the survey were car drivers which is why the option to keep it as a roundabout came out on top.
When the results were broken down, the majority of cyclists were in favour of changing the roundabout to a junction.
Mr Massey finished: “It is coming from an anti-car council administration that once again seems set to ignore public opinion and seems obsessed with making life difficult for motorists in the city, to deliver very minor, marginal and costly improvements to active travel routes.”
The four options for the roundabout improvement project can be viewed online here.
Poll: Has £10.7 million South College Street project made a difference?
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