Union Street stretch to be closed until at least the end of 2024 – with major events rerouted

Part of the Granite Mile will be shut as work on the £100 million city centre roads revamp gets under way.

By Denny Andonova

April 11 2024, 11:04 am

Union Street will soon be closed from Market Street up to Bridge street. Image: Norman Adams/Aberdeen City Council.

The central stretch of Union Street will soon close for the rest of the year – with all city centre parades being rerouted.

The measures will be put in place as work on a multi-million-pound revamp of the Granite Mile begins.

It includes creating a big cycle lane along the central section of Union Street, which will later be extended along its full length.

Digital rendering of the segregated bike lane in the central part of Union Street in Aberdeen. — The segregated bike lane in the central part of Union Street in Aberdeen will be built first. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

The £100 million road overhaul also includes upgrading parts of Rose Street, Thistle Street and Chapel Street up the other end of Aberdeen city centre.

What part of Union Street will be closed then?

The first batch of upgrades will be carried out on the stretch between Market Street and Bridge Street.

It is expected this part of Union Street, which is already restricted to buses and taxis, will be closed for at least seven months.

The same section was shut off completely during the pandemic.

When exactly workers will swoop in is still to be confirmed, but it’s expected to start in the coming weeks.

Bicycle in Aberdeen city centre. — Cycle lanes could also be added to Market Street, Guild Street, Carmelite Street, Correction Wynd, St Nicholas Lane and St Nicholas Street. Image: Alastair Gossip/DC Thomson.

An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “Information on start of works will be made public at the appropriate time.”

However, the local authority has warned there will be some disruption to city centre events for the foreseeable future.

This includes rerouting major gatherings that would normally take place on Union Street – including parades and protest processions.

Grampian Pride parade on Union Street. — This year’s Grampian Pride parade will one of the events affected by the Union Street roadworks. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson.

What events will the roadworks affect?

As a result of the closure, this year’s Grampian Pride will take a different route.

Thousands of people are expected to join the rainbow parade on May 25, hailed as the biggest LGBTQ+ celebration in the north-east.

The procession usually runs through the whole length of Union Street, finishing off at Castlegate.

But this year, pedestrians will be diverted through Union Terrace and Schoolhill, with a final stop at Marischal Square on Broad Street.

Map shows new route for Aberdeen city centre parades. — The new route for city centre parades – starting with Grampian Pride. Image: Roddie Reid/ DC Thomson.

As a result, these roads will also be closed for about two to three hours on the day of the event.

This will be the case for all other parades taking place this year.

These include:

Aberdeen Trade Union Council and STUC parade: May 4
Grampian Pride: May 25
Armed Forces Day: June 29
Celebrate Aberdeen: August 31
Remembrance Sunday: November 10
Christmas lights switch-on parade: November 17
Aberdeen Trade Union Council and STUC parade: November – date TBC

However, the local authority’s events team warned more events could be added to the list as time goes on.

They added: “The dates we have at the moment are provided for information, but it should be noted that some processions come at short notice (28 days).

“The duration of these closures varies depending on the scale of the parade, but we expect the main route to be closed for between two and three hours generally.”