A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme

In January 2016 the Scottish Government announced £24 million for the design and construction of a new grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk as part of a package of additional investment alongside the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

Transport Scotland appointed design consultants, Amey in September 2016 to progress the next phases of the design process.

The route option assessment work as part of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Stage 2 assessment has been concluded with the preferred option announced in July 2018 at a series of public exhibitions.

The DMRB Stage 3 detailed development and assessment of the preferred option has now been completed with draft Orders and Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the scheme published on 19 December 2019 for formal comment.

Progress thereafter will be dependent on the public reaction to the draft Orders and whether a Public Local Inquiry is required.  Construction of the scheme itself can only commence if the scheme is approved under the relevant statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for its progress can be set.

Draft Orders and Environmental Impact Assessment Report

We published draft Orders and an EIAR for the proposed scheme on 19 December 2019 for formal comment. The draft Orders include:

  • The M90/A90/A9000 Trunk Road (A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement) (Side Roads) Order 201[ ]
  • The M90/A90/A9000 Trunk Road (A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement) (Trunking) Order 201[ ]
  • The M90/A90/A9000 Trunk Road (A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement) Compulsory Purchase Order 201[ ].

The Statutory Consultation Period closed on 14 February 2020. Transport Scotland is currently considering the representations received.

A public exhibition was held on 10 January 2020 to allow local communities and road users to view proposals for the junction.

View material presented at the Public Exhibition

Public Exhibitions – July and August 2018

As part of Transport Scotland’s community engagement on the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement scheme, public exhibitions were held on 20 July and 24 August 2018 to let the local community and road users see the preferred option for the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme.

Representatives of Transport Scotland and our design consultants were on hand to discuss the options on display and answer any questions on the scheme.

Public Exhibition - October 2017

The exhibition allowed the local community and road users to see and comment on the options under consideration for the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme.

Representatives from Transport Scotland and our design consultant Amey were on hand to discuss the options on display and answer any questions on the scheme.

Meet the team event - February 2017

A “Meet the team” event was held on 17 February 2017 in Laurencekirk when representatives from Transport Scotland and our design consultant Amey were available to answer questions on the design and assessment process.

Background

The A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme is located on the A90 trunk road at Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire. The town of Laurencekirk is approximately 40km south of Aberdeen and is bypassed to the south east by the trunk road.

The A90 trunk road was upgraded to dual carriageway standard in the 1980s which remains the main strategic link between Aberdeen and Dundee. There are three at-grade junctions on the A90 that give access to Laurencekirk. These are:

  • The A937 north junction, which also has a staggered access to Keilburn farm;
  • The central B9120 staggered junction that gives access to St Cyrus and Garvock Hill; and
  • The A937 south junction, where a staggered southern leg gives access to Marykirk, the A92 and Montrose area.

Following a fatal accident at the A90/A937 junction, BEAR Scotland (the trunk roads maintenance contractor) were commissioned to carry out a study to determine measures to improve safety.

The A90/A937 south junction is the busiest of the three and safety improvements were implemented here in 2005 and 2010. These include a 50mph speed limit, with speed cameras and advance warning signs, as well as vehicle activated signs, antiskid surfacing and renewed road markings. Whilst the accident record has improved as a result of these safety measures, there is still local concern about the junctions.

In 2009 the Scottish Parliaments Petitions Committee received a petition calling on the Scottish Government to improve safety measures on the A90 by constructing a grade separated junction where the A937 crosses the A90 at Laurencekirk.

In June 2013 Transport Scotland, Nestrans and Aberdeenshire Council reached agreement that Nestrans would lead the Access to Laurencekirk Study. This study was undertaken in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Stage 1 and Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG).