Two attempts have been made to stop Aberdeen City Council from taking over land needed to upgrade the road to the South Harbour.
An update on the project was recently given to members of the City Region Deal joint committee, months after plans were formally lodged.
Council roads officer Alan McKay said detailed designs for the development are “progressing well”.
It was revealed that a compulsory purchase order was made for pieces of land in the area to allow the works to take place.
A couple of objections against the order were sent to Scottish Ministers over the summer, asking Holyrood to prevent the land grab.
But, Mr McKay stated that the council is “positive that they can be resolved in a timeous manner” and no further action will be needed.
How will new road be formed?
Committee members were also told about the redesign of the Hareness Road and Coast Road junction.
It has a “new and improved” alignment with the two junctions, which Mr McKay explained would bring “some benefits going forward”.
The junction will now be found further south to reduce any impact on Hareness Place and the industrial units nearby.
Meanwhile, committee members heard the latest on the planning application for 2.5 miles of upgrade and realignment work to the Aberdeen South Harbour Link Road.
Under the proposal, which was lodged in May, improvements will be made to Hareness Road and Coast Road.
The changes will make the route easier to access for pedestrians and cyclists, with an aim to increase active travel to the new harbour and Energy Transition Zone.
A new bridge over the Aberdeen to Dundee railway line will be added too.
Mr McKay said the scheme has moved “substantially” through the planning system and a decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Traffic orders under consideration
The local authority boss also provided an update on temporary and permanent changes to the surrounding roads.
Currently, Hareness Road could remain open one-way while Coast Road may be forced to close for some time.
Concerns about Aberdeen South Harbour Coast Road delays
City council co-leader Christian Allard voiced his concerns about the project, specifically the time taken to get it all moving.
The frustrated councillor said: “I can’t help but think that stage one was in 2018 and here’s us six years later and we are still there.
“I’ve always been very vocal that the road should have been built some time ago.”
The council co-leader also asked for workers to try and avoid disturbing the Torry and Cove communities during construction when it eventually begins.
But Aberdeenshire Council leader Gillian Owen had some reservations and believed the project could still be at risk.
She argued the budget for it was still an “unknown quantity” and feared contractors could back out.
“Up and down the country there are many large projects that are being stopped because of the volatility within the construction industry,” she said.
“Robertson has just pulled out of the major Peterhead Community Campus project that we are doing in Aberdeenshire so I would really err on the side of caution.”
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