New Aberdeen bus gates delayed for months due to ‘winter weather’

By Kieran Beattie

February 22 2023, 11:45 am

A map of planned changes to the road network in Aberdeen. Key changes, like the introduction of new bus gates, have been significantly delayed. Images: Aberdeen City Council/DC Thomson.

New bus gates in Aberdeen originally planned for January won’t be installed until later in the year.

Last June, the council agreed to implement sweeping changes to the city centre road network in order to create a bus priority route.

The new measures, designed to reduce general traffic levels, include new pedestrianised areas, one-way systems and access restrictions.

The straight-ahead lane from Trinity Quay onto Guild Street was blocked off just days before Christmas, causing frustration for festive shoppers. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

In December, work commenced to implement these new changes with the controversial closure of the straight-ahead lane from Trinity Quay onto Guild Street.

The rest of the new restrictions were due to start in January, but the council has now pushed this date back by months.

Why have the new Aberdeen bus gates been postponed, and where will they be?

Under the council’s plan for the new bus priority route, new bus gates will be installed on Market Street, Guild Street and Bridge Street.

A bus gate will be implemented in this area, covering eastbound traffic only on Guild Street, between its junctions with Exchange Street and Stirling Street. Image: Kieran Beattie/DC Thomson.

As well as the new cameras to fine drivers for going down the wrong streets, the local authority is also looking to ban right-hand turns from Union Terrace to Rosemount Viaduct for cars.

The changes are intended to cut down on vehicles using Bridge Street, Guild Street and Market Street as through-routes, creating more space for buses instead.

Although they were all planned to have already started by now, the council has now confirmed they won’t be in place until after the South College Street improvement works are finished.

The South College Street roadworks have been going on for months. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson, January 18, 2023.

Those works, which you can read about here, are expected to be completed by May 7.

A council spokeswoman said the new bus gates for Guild Street, Bridge Street and Market Street were “delayed due to the winter weather conditions in December and January”, and they are now anticipated for “late spring” after the South College Street project concludes.

She added: “We will provide updates nearer the time for when the bus priority route will start.”