Aberdeen residents are being urged to give their views on traffic in the city, in advance of the opening of the long-awaited bypass.
The £745million Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, which will run from the A90 at Stonehaven and Charleston in the south to Blackdog in the north, is scheduled to open this winter.
The bypass, being constructed by Scottish Government body, Transport Scotland, has been on the table since the end of the Second World War.
A public consultation was launched yesterday to investigate how traffic and people will move around the Granite City after the AWPR opens.
It is predicted to reduce journey times across and around Aberdeen, because vehicles will have a 70mph speed limit, compared to the 40, 30 and 20mph limits in the city.
Council chiefs are also hopeful the road will allow them to build more cycle lanes around the city in anticipation of the reduced traffic.
Council transport spokesman Ross Grant said: “The AWPR will make a big difference to how people get round the city, both getting from one place to another and in the city centre.
“Our officers would like to find out how people move about at the moment, and how they think this might change after the AWPR opens.
“The city is going through one of the biggest transformations in its infrastructure, with £560million spent on major projects such as the Diamond Bridge, Dyce Park and Ride, and the Berryden Improvement Corridor which are all designed to complement each other.
“The information gleaned from the public consultation will be used to help shape transport policy for the city and we would love to hear from everyone who uses roads in Aberdeen.”
The consultation is part of the £3.2million Civitas Portis European Union grant awarded last year for a north-east transport project, involving a consortium of council, university and private partners which is aimed at improving travel in the area.
The public consultation is available at
https://consultation.aberdeencity.gov.uk/planning/traveling-aroundaberdeen-city-after-the-awpr-open
and copies are available from any city library, Aberdeen City Council’s reception areas at Marischal College and the Town House, and Aberdeen City Council, Business Hub 4, Marischal College, Broad Street.
The survey closes on 31 March 2017.
