Road users have been warned to expect up to a year of traffic chaos south of Aberdeen as construction of a vital new piece of the long-awaited Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) begins.
New traffic management measures will be implemented at the Charleston junction on Monday to enable the closure of the existing diverge and the merging of slip roads between the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen road northbound and the A956 Wellington Road leading to Altens.
The extensive works, which are expected to last until winter next year, will be put in place to make way for contractors building a new bridge over the dual carriageway at the site.
A number of diversions will be in place over the duration of the project, and a new 50mph speed restriction will be implemented – complete with new average speed cameras around the Charleston and Findon junction areas to protect the safety of construction workers and motorists.
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: “The works at Charleston will involve constructing a new bridge to carry road users over the A90, realigning the A956 and widening the A90 to three lanes in each direction.
“These extensive works, which will be on-going until winter 2017, will be undertaken close to live traffic on the A90.
“Therefore, to ensure the safety of workers and road users, it is necessary to put in place a range of traffic management measures.
“Road users may find it useful to plan their journeys in advance.
“Detailed maps showing how some typical journeys will change at the Charleston junction are located on the AWPR project website and will give road users an idea of what to expect.”