Traffic and bus route changes in Kirkwall due to roadworks

Traffic diversions and changes to public bus timetables will be in place in Kirkwall from this coming Monday, April 16, as roadworks are carried out on one of the town’s busiest stretches of road.

According to Orkney Islands Council (OIC), work at Junction Road and New Scapa Road, which will see the road surface renewed and manhole covers replaced or reset, will take place over the next six weeks.

It will see the section of road between Hornersquoy to the roundabout at the junction of Pickaquoy Road and Junction road closed to all traffic. Traffic will be diverted via Old Finstown Road, Sunnybank Road and the main Stromness-to-Kirkwall road for the duration.

Vehicles to businesses and properties within the site area will be allowed as far as possible but access will depend on the nature of works being carried out at any particular time and at the discretion of site staff and there may be delays. There will still be pedestrian access to the affected areas.

Darren Richardson, Head of Infrastructure and Strategic Projects, said: “We’ll be addressing issues such as rippling on the road surface and replacing or resetting manhole covers, and evening out sections where there have been tracks dug and patched. We’ll also be taking the opportunity to check on some of the drainage in the area. The signed diversion is a lengthy one, but it is the shortest route that is safe for all vehicles to use, avoiding any roads with weight limits or narrow points”

Mr Richardson said anyone who wishes to contact the council over issues arising from the roadworks can call customers services on 873535.

Due to the roadworks, public service buses will not be operating via the Clay Loan and Junction Road. This affects the X1 St Margaret’s Hope to Kirkwall service, the service 4  to Kirkwall airport and the service 9 Kirkwall Town bus routes.

Arrangements for those routes during the period of the roadworks are as follows:

• The X1 Service will operate via the Meadows and round Carness Road as opposed to serving Holm Branch Road, New Scapa Road and Junction Road. This may result in some timetable disruption and delays.

• The Service 4 will temporarily move from a half-hourly to hourly service, departing quarter past the hour from the Kirkwall Travel Centre. Journeys currently scheduled to depart at quarter to the hour from the travel centre will not operate during this time. Clay Loan and New Scapa Road (Balfour Hospital) will not be served during this time. Instead, the service will operate via Easdale Loan, Holm Branch Road (It will turn at the new roundabout at Foreland Road), Holm Road, Bignold Park Road, Dundas Crescent, School Place and Carness Road in both directions while Junction Road is closed.

• The Service 9 timetable will operate an amended and reduced service during the period of works, in order to largely retain the existing hourly timetable. This route will also operate via Carness Road whilst Junction Road is closed.

More information on the changed bus routes can be downloaded here, or paper copies can be picked up on buses or from the Kirkwall Travel Centre.