North-east motorists are facing a fortnight of traffic chaos as water works are carried out at the region’s most notorious roundabout.
Lanes will be closed south and west of the Haudagain in Aberdeen – spelling misery for commuters heading to the city on the busy A90 and A96 routes.
Scottish Water will be carrying out mains and sewer diversions as part of the £30million Transport Scotland scheme to ease congestion at the blackspot.
Construction of the Haudagain improvement project is scheduled to start following the completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR).
From Monday, the A90 North Anderson Drive will be reduced to one lane northbound and then southbound at the road’s junction with Manor Avenue.
And from January 23, there will be a further week of lane closures on the A96 Great Northern Road, also at the junction with Manor Drive.
Last night, Aberdeen City Council finance convener Willie Young called for more warning of traffic disruption from Transport Scotland – but also welcomed progress to help tackle the Haudagain gridlock.
He said: “Once again we find that we’re going to have difficulties in the city because one part of the Scottish Government doesn’t work with the local authority and give us adequate notice.
“However, we do recognise that we do want to get the Haudagain improvements done as quickly as we can.
“It’s just a pity that Transport Scotland and Scottish Water haven’t given us decent notice.
“It’s disappointing that we can’t co-ordinate some of these things better.
“However, we have been wanting to get the Haudagain improved for some time now, so it’s good that there is at last some movement at the Haudagain.
“There will be traffic problems because of this, however it’s like everything else – if you want to see improvements you’ve got to take the bad with the good.”
Fraserburgh-based electrician Andrew Henderson, who regularly used the A90 to travel from the town to Aberdeen for work, said the closures could have a “significant” impact on companies with larger workforces.
“There’s nothing we’re going to be able to do about it,” he said.
“We’re all just going to have to put up with the chaos, I suppose, or try and find an alternative route which is easier said than done.
“It means we’re going to take longer to get to places we need to be, and hopefully customers will understand that.
“I imagine it will have a bigger and significant effect on the likes of the larger companies, who have more vans on the road.”
Aberdeen Donside SNP MSP Mark McDonald said: “Roadworks on busy routes will be frustrating for commuters, but this work is necessary for the major improvements that are being carried out around the Haudagain.
“I hope everyone who regularly uses this route will take note of the routes going down to single lane, and allow for extra time where necessary.
“Myself and my staff will be directly affected by these closures as my office sits right in the middle of these road closures, and we too will be leaving for work that bit earlier.
“I will be contacting Scottish Water and Transport Scotland to seek assurance that all necessary provisions are in place to make sure this work is carried out on time and with minimal disruption.”
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “This is a much-needed project which will improve traffic flow around the longstanding bottleneck at Haudagain when completed.
“We are liaising with all involved to find traffic management arrangements that allow the essential work to be completed safely while keeping delays to a minimum.
“We appreciate the patience of road users when the work is being carried out.”