POLL: After seven months, has the Haudagain been improved?

By Kieran Beattie

December 16 2022, 5:00 pm

The new road bypassing the Haudagain Roundabout was opened on May 16, 2022. Image: Darrell Benns / DC Thomson

It has now been seven months since the official opening of the £50 million Haudagain Improvement Project, but has it helped to cut traffic jams?

On May 16 this year, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth officially opened the more than 180ft of new dual carriageway at the Haudagain.

Transport minister Jenny Gilruth at the Haudagain opening ceremony. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson. 16/05/2022.

The new route takes vehicles between the A92 North Anderson Drive and the A96 Auchill Road, totally bypassing the Haudagain Roundabout — which has for years been the city’s most notorious bottleneck.

At the time, Ms Gilruth said the new route was intended to help tackle congestion, and “deliver significant benefits, including improving journey times for road users and public transport”.

The Haudagain Roundabout has long been one of the most notorious traffic bottlenecks in the city. But after the Haudagain Improvement Project, do you still think it deserves that title? Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said it’s too early right now to officially evaluate the difference the major roads project has had on traffic flow.

But after seven months of the new bypass being open around the Haudagain, we want to know if our readers think the changes have helped to finally cut down on congestion in the area — or not.

Take part in our poll here to tell us your thoughts on the Haudagain changes, seven months on

P&J readers weren’t impressed with the Haudagain project initially

Initially, our readers said they weren’t too keen on the new Haudagain changes soon after the new roads first opened. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.

A few weeks after the new Haudagain roads project officially opened to the public, we ran a poll asking if people thought it had made a difference or not.

Just under 80% of the 1,256 participants said it had not.

When will Transport Scotland officially evaluate the success of the Haudagain Improvement Project?

Traffic queueing up at the Haudagain Roundabout. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said it is currently preparing to test out how the Haudagain changes have impacted traffic flow in the area in 2023.

And a more “detailed evaluation” will be carried out in 2025, that will be carried out against criteria like “Value for Money”, “Integration”, “Safety” and “Accessibility and Social Inclusion”.

The spokesman said: “Since the A92/A96 Haudagain Improvement project opened to traffic seven months ago, road users have been able to bypass an area well known as a bottleneck, which caused significant queues and delays in traffic.

“The project is intended to improve traffic flow, alleviate congestion in the area, improve journey time reliability and provide safer routes for pedestrians, therefore further enhancing the benefits road users in the north-east of Scotland are enjoying from the £745 million investment in the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty project.

“In 2023 an initial evaluation of the A92/A96 Haudagain Improvement project will be undertaken one year after road opening, followed by a further detailed evaluation in 2025, three years after road opening.”