A poll of Press and Journal readers found that more than half of participants don’t think the Haudagain Improvement Project has been much of an improvement after all.
On May 16 this year, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth officially cut the ribbon to open more than 180ft of new dual carriageway at the Haudagain, the city’s most notorious traffic bottleneck.
At the time, the transport minister said the new route was intended to help reduce lengthy queues for commuters, and “deliver significant benefits, including improving journey times for road users and public transport”.
The new route takes vehicles between the A92 North Anderson Drive and the A96 Auchmill Road, completely bypassing the Haudagain Roundabout itself.
But seven months on, those who took part in our latest reader’s poll are pretty split in opinion on whether the £50 million project was actually worth it in the long run.
The full results of our latest Haudagain poll:
Of the 305 voters, 169, or 55%, don’t believe the changes have improved traffic flow around the Haudagain.
But 136 people, at 45% of the vote, said yes.
Although fewer people took part in our latest survey, the percentage results are very different from our initial poll back in June, just a few weeks after the new road changes opened to the public.
Back then, just under 80% of 1,256 participants said the Haudagain Improvement Project hadn’t made a difference.
A ‘huge difference’ or a ‘monumental waste of money’: What are readers saying about the Haudagain changes?
Our latest poll created a great deal of discussion for and against the Haudagain Improvement Project on social media.
Lots of people said they think it has made for quicker journey times, with one person saying they have “yet to be in a big queue since it opened”.
A fellow commenter wrote: “I think it’s made a big difference.
“I use the new road when going to Dyce which reduces the traffic using using the Haudagain and straight on if going to Bridge of Don.”
And another said: “Huge difference, next to no queue every night down to the Haudagain heading to Bridge of Don.”
However, there was also a great deal of criticism of the infrastructure project.
Has the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route already helped tackle Aberdeen’s traffic woes?
A good few argued that if there has been improved traffic flow, it is more thanks to the impact of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR).
“There is absolutely no need for this once the AWPR opened,” wrote one person.
They added: “Plus, the traffic is nowhere near what it used to be 10/15 years ago either.”
Another person who isn’t a fan of the new Haudagain called it a “monumental waste of money.”
“It now takes longer to leave Aberdeen heading to Bucksburn due to the rapid cycling traffic lights of the new link road,” they said.
‘It depends on whether the lights are in your favour’
Another common topic of debate was traffic lights on the new bypass route.
One person wrote: “Coming down the Drive to get home, it makes a big difference for me.
“Going up depends on whether the lights are in your favour.
“It would have been better if there was a filter on Auchmill Road to turn right with the bus lane and middle lane being straight ahead only.”
And another said: “It’s actually quicker to continue down to the roundabout than off at the slip due to the amount of traffic lights”.
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