AWPR beam lift for A90 Stonehaven Bridge this weekend
Five 40m beams which will form the new A90 northbound carriageway at Stonehaven are expected to be lifted into place this weekend, as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.
In preparation for the beam lift, the B979 Netherley Road is expected to close from 8pm on Friday 27 October until 6am on Monday 30 October to enable the crane to be positioned, the beams to be installed and the crane to be dismantled. These works are weather dependent and therefore may be subject to change.
Diversions will be signposted. Road users heading north from Stonehaven should travel via the B979 David Street, Allardice Street and then the A957 Bridgefield, Dunnottar Avenue up to Glasslaw Junction. They should then turn right onto the A92, known locally as the Coast Road (Dunfermline to Stonehaven Road), which leads to the A90.
Road users heading south into Stonehaven on the B979 Netherley Road should turn left at B979 Mains of Ury to join the A90 heading north towards Aberdeen. They should then leave the A90 at the Newtonhill flyover junction and re-join the A90 heading south, taking the first exit to Stonehaven, U90K Den of Logie Road.
The A90 will remain open, with one lane of traffic travelling in each direction, subject to a 30mph speed restriction. Road users travelling northbound will be diverted onto the A90 southbound carriageway. Continuous travel will be provided for road users travelling southbound using the newly constructed slip roads.
The beams will be installed in three lifts, overnight on Saturday 28 October and Sunday 29 October. The A90 mainline will be brought to a complete halt on each night for around 15 minutes to allow the beams to be safely lifted into position. These will take place overnight when traffic is at its lightest.
There will be no access to the A90 from the B979 via the new southbound slip road during these closures.
For safety reasons, it will not be possible to permit through access for pedestrians or cyclists on the B979 Netherley Road; however, a minibus will be available to provide transfers to the other side of the closure via the diversion.
Further overnight closures of the B979 are expected to take place between 10pm and 6am on Monday 30 October, Tuesday 31 October and Wednesday 1 November, to allow the contractor to undertake works at the sides of the new bridge section. During these overnight closures, diversions will be in place as detailed above, with the exception of the new A90 southbound slip road which road users will be able to access from the Stonehaven side of the B979 closure.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said:
“This is a significant milestone for Stonehaven. These beams are a key part of the new junction, forming a new bridge that will provide additional width for the B979 below and allow the junction to operate effectively.
“The contractor has been working closely with Police Scotland and the local authorities to ensure anyone who needs to use this section of the B979 Netherley Road over this weekend and during the following overnight closures has an alternative available to them, while maintaining the safety of road users and road workers.
“We ask that road users who would normally use this route to plan their journeys in advance, and consider giving themselves additional travelling time, so that they can reach their destination safely and on time.
“We would like to thank road users and the local community for their on-going support and patience during the construction works.”