Aberdeen’s historic Castlegate will be given a “cost-effective” but unsightly makeover as penny-pinching council bosses say safety improvements are needed.
The local authority says the work will not be “the most aesthetically pleasing” but will make the area around the Mercat Cross significantly safer.
Many of the flagstones at the east end of Union Street have come loose over the years and will cost more than £1.5 million to repair.
Due to major improvement works being planned in the area as part of the city centre and beach masterplan a more cost-effective temporary solution has been chosen.
Aberdeen City Council teams will be installing compacted road planings which have been taken from other roadworks sites around the city.
These will be used to create a road surface for vehicles while the pavement stones will be repaired.
Temporary surface to replace Castlegate flagstones
The council acknowledges that the surface might not look as good after the works are complete, saying: “Although the waste materials are not the most aesthetically pleasing, they will help to significantly improve the safety of the surface around the Mercat Cross.”
Disability groups in Aberdeen previously raised concerns about the historic area.
Some locals said walking across the uneven surface “filled them with dread”.
The granite flagstones have become loose as the cement has worn away and created a number of gaps.
The flagstones, which were originally laid in the early 1990s, will also be retained for potential future use.
Further major improvements for the masterplan will be carried out at the Castlegate in due course.
The plans include reinstating the central role of Union Street. Stronger links north to the beach area via the Castlegate are also part of the proposals.
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