Aberdeen’s new Third Don Crossing will officially open to the public on June 9, it has been revealed.
The £18 million bridge has been hailed as a major milestone in the city’s history and is designed to ease congestion on the city’s roads and speed up journey times.
Around 500 children from Danestone and Riverbank primary schools will join VIPs at the grand opening next Thursday.
Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing will cut the ribbon in front of the children and VIP guests, while Lord Provost George Adam will be the first person driven over the new crossing.
Councillor Willie Young said the opening marked another milestone in the administration’s vision for Aberdeen’s wide-ranging transformation.
The convenor of the Council’s Finance, Policy and Resources Committee said: “We are in the process of delivering the biggest regeneration project in the city’s history and the Third Don is a key part of this process – a process which will see roads, housing, power, digital and culture in Aberdeen transformed for future generations.”
Councillor Young added: “This project has been a challenge, particularly for the two areas of Tillydrone and Danestone, which have been most closely affected by the work. On behalf of this administration, I would like to thanks those communities for their patience.
“We will continue to invest heavily in Aberdeen’s roads infrastructure with projects like the Berryden Corridor and access from the south of the city as part of our wider Strategic Infrastructure Programme. It will fundamentally improve the lives of everyone who lives in and around Aberdeen.”
There is to be a second ceremony later this year, when HMS Diamond will feature for the official naming of the crossing. Details of this will be announced in due course.