People living in a north-east town will face a one-mile diversion to reach their front door when work begins to create a new roundabout next month.
Aberdeenshire Council will close a 300ft stretch of Buchan Road in Fraserburgh at its junction with Boothby Road so that work can start on connecting a major housing project with the town.
The project, which will take one month to complete starting on November 9, will leave motorists with a lengthy diversion to reach their homes and nearby shops.
Traffic will be diverted along Smiddyhill Road and Boothby Road.
Last night locals admitted the delays would be frustrating, but accepted they would be “short-term pain for a long-term gain.”
Councillor Brian Topping said: “I sympathise 100% with the people who will be affected – it is going to be an inconvenience to a lot of people, especially the people who live there.
“Local councillors were not asked if they agreed to this work, we were just told that it would be happening. There’s nothing any councillor can do about it – we will all have this massive inconvenience.
“But, unfortunately, it’s a necessity. It’s got to happen. Things have got to be built and there’s got to be improvements. It will also add calming measures to the road, because people will have to slow down when they come to a roundabout when it’s built.”
The roundabout will connect a 590-home housing project at Merryhillock to the rest of the town.
Ronnie McNab, chairman of the town’s community council, said: “It’s definitely surprising. If people are going to have to face a one-mile diversion just to get home, then maybe the roundabout needs to be looked at again and something else decided.”
Mary Melville, the vice-chairwoman, added: “It’s one mile in and one mile out for 30 days, that’s 60 miles in total.
“I suppose that roundabout will be there forever more, though, when it’s done. It could be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.”
The project, by Claymore Homes, has previously been the focus of infighting between local councillors over “political names” for streets.
Fraserburgh councillors had become embroiled in a row after proposals to christen one street in the development in memory of Braveheart Scot William Wallace were tabled.
Local members of the Banff and Buchan area committee were asked to choose 15 names for the streets and voted for names including Wallace Way, Merryhillock Road, Saltire Crescent and Ferme Court.