Cyclists are being given the chance to ride on the new Aberdeen bypass before they are banned from the road when it opens.
Economy Secretary Keith Brown has unveiled a series of public events to thank north-east residents and businesses plagued by construction work and delays.
No official date has yet been set for the opening of the road but Mr Brown confirmed that contractors are working towards its completion by October or November.
Ahead of that, a weekend of activities for families has been planned for September 8 and 9.
This will include the one and only opportunity for cyclists to bike along the 35-mile stretch which is being built to alleviate traffic problems in Aberdeen.
Once it opens, bicycles and farm vehicles will be prohibited from travelling on the AWPR due to its classification by transport bosses as a “special road”.
Mr Brown said: “They’ll be seeing parts of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire that they won’t have seen from that angle before.
“We obviously realise that a number of local people and local businesses have had a lot to put up with throughout the construction of the road and it’s a way of thanking them and giving ownership of the road to the local community.”
Several fete-style events will also be held that weekend near the River Dee on the border between Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Among them will be a vintage vehicle parade offering a “celebration of travel” through the decades, featuring a range of cars dating back to the 1940s.
The announcement follows calls for a similar event to the Queensferry Crossing launch, where 250,000 people applied for the chance to walk across the bridge in September.
Aberdeenshire Council leader Jim Gifford said: “That was a great success (but) this road doesn’t lend itself to that.
“It’s 56 kilometres (35 miles) long – you’re not going to walk from one end to the other.
“I think having events that focus on certain parts and that give people the opportunity to get involved is altogether a good thing.
“It shows people that the project is coming together and is finally going to be finished.”
City council co-leader Douglas Lumsden added: “It’s a good way for the community to get behind the project and to play a part in the opening of the road.”
Some stretches of the AWPR bypass are expected to open in the coming weeks as they are nearing completion.
However, the project as a whole is not scheduled to open until the autumn.
Mr Brown added: “We’re looking towards around October-November this year. If we can do it earlier than that, we’ll do it earlier than that.
“We have to do it in a safe way.”