The development of a new £200,000 route connecting two expanding Aberdeenshire towns has taken a major step forward.
A public contract for the Kintore-Inverurie foot and cycle path – which will run alongside the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road – has been published by Aberdeenshire Council.
The local authority’s Garioch area committee unanimously backed the plans during a meeting in January, with the project expected to take three to four months to complete.
The contract is for the first phase of the pathway, which will connect Kintore Business Park to Inverurie at Thainstone.
Councillors supported the proposals despite frustrations that the project will not be delivered by the original completion date of March this year.
It is hoped the pathway will encourage people to leave their cars at home and start walking, jogging or cycling between the two towns.
According to the contract, the work on the route will include relocating several traffic signs, removing safety barriers and introducing give way road markings at crossings.
The project is being funded by £50,000 from Nestrans and Sustrans’ Scotland’s Community Links Programme, which is providing £190,000.
Chairman of the Garioch area committee and Kintore councillor Fergus Hood, said: “I am very pleased to see that happening because the council is trying to encourage people to get out and about walking and cycling.
“That path has been something the community in Kintore has been talking about for a number of years.”
Vice-chairman of Nestrans, Councillor Peter Argyle, said: “Nestrans has a very firm commitment to cycling and walking as alternatives to the car and I am really pleased to see this project moving forward.
“If you look at our regional transport strategy we produced, cycling and walking is a very import part of it. This is very welcomed.”