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Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
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Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), unofficially also the City of Aberdeen Bypass, is a major road that wraps around the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The road stretches north from Stonehaven through Kincardineshire and crosses both the River Dee and River Don before terminating at Blackdog. The main stretch of the AWPR is 22 miles (35 km) in length.
The AWPR also includes the 4-mile (6.4 km) A956 spur that links the bypass to the A92. The construction of the AWPR was coupled with extensive upgrades to the A90 continuing north with the 9-mile (14 km) Balmedie to Tipperty dual carriageway, supplanting the existing road which was subsequently detrunked and is now the B977. The AWPR's primary route is designated as part of the A90, with the original A90 now renamed the A92, which now connects with the AWPR at both of its ends.
The road is predominantly rural, crossing mainly through farmland and forest while skimming past built-up areas. The AWPR is legally classed as a special road by the Scottish Government. This means that the bypass is governed under motorway restrictions. The road itself is near-motorway grade with all junctions being grade-separated with adjoining slip roads (the only exception being the Cleanhill roundabout), a full-length continuous concrete step barrier, large road signage, legal prohibition of stopping and reversing alongside restriction to Class I and II vehicles, barring non-motorway traffic from using the bypass altogether. The road however lacks hard shoulders and instead includes emergency lay-bys. The regulations governing the AWPR are not those of a standard primary A-road and are very similar to those found on motorways, however the road is not classed as a motorway under its statutory instrument.
The Balmedie to Tipperty road is not part of the bypass despite being built in conjunction with it and therefore not bound by the AWPR's statutory instrument, making it an ordinary dual carriageway. First announced in January 2003, the road was approved by Scottish Ministers in late 2009 with the original costs estimated at between £295 million and £395 million. Construction on the AWPR began on 19 February 2015. The final section opened exactly four years later on 19 February 2019.
Prior to the introduction of the AWPR, the only dual carriageway route heading from north to south was Anderson Drive, the city's original bypass constructed in the 1930s. By the 1950s, Anderson Drive had been swallowed into the rapidly-expanding Aberdeen with the creation of new post-war suburbs such as Northfield, Mastrick and Garthdee. The road was unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles as they could not cross the Bridge of Dee at its south end, therefore large vehicles were forced to detour along the B9077 across King George VI Bridge before returning to Anderson Drive via Broomhill Road, resulting in local and strategic traffic coming into conflict in a built-up area which caused serious safety concerns.
The idea for a new bypass for Aberdeen was first proposed in 1952. Following decades of discussion and low-level planning, the Scottish government's plan to construct the bypass were announced in 2003, by the then first minister. In 2012, following lengthy legal delays, the project was approved. Construction began in February 2015, supported by both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils in addition to NESTRANS, the statutory Regional Transport Partnership for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. By 2016, the total cost of the bypass was projected to have a significantly higher cost of £745 million.
The AWPR was opened in segments, starting with between the Blackdog and Goval junctions which was soon followed by the Balmedie to Tipperty stretch. By December 2018, the AWPR had fully opened to motorists with the exception of between the Craibstone and Goval junctions which was due to concrete problems at the River Don Crossing. The entire road became operational on 19 February 2019 - later than planned partly due to weather issues and the January 2018 collapse of contractor Carillion. Giving evidence to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee in December 2018, a spokesman for Balfour Beatty agreed that the total cost of the bypass could be "in the area of" £1 billion.
The road was designed to have a positive impact on traffic along routes which are congested during rush hour, particularly Aberdeen's Anderson Drive, King Street and Union Street. Other intentions of this project included slight reductions in traffic congestion on local bridges heading into Aberdeen city centre, which is sandwiched between the Rivers Dee and Don, this would be achieved by reducing the volume of heavy goods vehicles that do not need to enter the city. The project was also intended to dial back the level of traffic heading towards Aberdeen Airport, the adjacent industrial estates at Dyce and the new Aberdeen International Business Park.[citation needed] Aberdeen City Council constructed a new six-lane extension of Argyll Road to connect Aberdeen Airport and the AIBP with the A96 and AWPR, the road opened in late 2016 and is now the B984.
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Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), unofficially also the City of Aberdeen Bypass, is a major road that wraps around the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The road stretches north from Stonehaven through Kincardineshire and crosses both the River Dee and River Don before terminating at Blackdog. The main stretch of the AWPR is 22 miles (35 km) in length.
The AWPR also includes the 4-mile (6.4 km) A956 spur that links the bypass to the A92. The construction of the AWPR was coupled with extensive upgrades to the A90 continuing north with the 9-mile (14 km) Balmedie to Tipperty dual carriageway, supplanting the existing road which was subsequently detrunked and is now the B977. The AWPR's primary route is designated as part of the A90, with the original A90 now renamed the A92, which now connects with the AWPR at both of its ends.
The road is predominantly rural, crossing mainly through farmland and forest while skimming past built-up areas. The AWPR is legally classed as a special road by the Scottish Government. This means that the bypass is governed under motorway restrictions. The road itself is near-motorway grade with all junctions being grade-separated with adjoining slip roads (the only exception being the Cleanhill roundabout), a full-length continuous concrete step barrier, large road signage, legal prohibition of stopping and reversing alongside restriction to Class I and II vehicles, barring non-motorway traffic from using the bypass altogether. The road however lacks hard shoulders and instead includes emergency lay-bys. The regulations governing the AWPR are not those of a standard primary A-road and are very similar to those found on motorways, however the road is not classed as a motorway under its statutory instrument.
The Balmedie to Tipperty road is not part of the bypass despite being built in conjunction with it and therefore not bound by the AWPR's statutory instrument, making it an ordinary dual carriageway. First announced in January 2003, the road was approved by Scottish Ministers in late 2009 with the original costs estimated at between £295 million and £395 million. Construction on the AWPR began on 19 February 2015. The final section opened exactly four years later on 19 February 2019.
Prior to the introduction of the AWPR, the only dual carriageway route heading from north to south was Anderson Drive, the city's original bypass constructed in the 1930s. By the 1950s, Anderson Drive had been swallowed into the rapidly-expanding Aberdeen with the creation of new post-war suburbs such as Northfield, Mastrick and Garthdee. The road was unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles as they could not cross the Bridge of Dee at its south end, therefore large vehicles were forced to detour along the B9077 across King George VI Bridge before returning to Anderson Drive via Broomhill Road, resulting in local and strategic traffic coming into conflict in a built-up area which caused serious safety concerns.
The idea for a new bypass for Aberdeen was first proposed in 1952. Following decades of discussion and low-level planning, the Scottish government's plan to construct the bypass were announced in 2003, by the then first minister. In 2012, following lengthy legal delays, the project was approved. Construction began in February 2015, supported by both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils in addition to NESTRANS, the statutory Regional Transport Partnership for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. By 2016, the total cost of the bypass was projected to have a significantly higher cost of £745 million.
The AWPR was opened in segments, starting with between the Blackdog and Goval junctions which was soon followed by the Balmedie to Tipperty stretch. By December 2018, the AWPR had fully opened to motorists with the exception of between the Craibstone and Goval junctions which was due to concrete problems at the River Don Crossing. The entire road became operational on 19 February 2019 - later than planned partly due to weather issues and the January 2018 collapse of contractor Carillion. Giving evidence to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee in December 2018, a spokesman for Balfour Beatty agreed that the total cost of the bypass could be "in the area of" £1 billion.
The road was designed to have a positive impact on traffic along routes which are congested during rush hour, particularly Aberdeen's Anderson Drive, King Street and Union Street. Other intentions of this project included slight reductions in traffic congestion on local bridges heading into Aberdeen city centre, which is sandwiched between the Rivers Dee and Don, this would be achieved by reducing the volume of heavy goods vehicles that do not need to enter the city. The project was also intended to dial back the level of traffic heading towards Aberdeen Airport, the adjacent industrial estates at Dyce and the new Aberdeen International Business Park.[citation needed] Aberdeen City Council constructed a new six-lane extension of Argyll Road to connect Aberdeen Airport and the AIBP with the A96 and AWPR, the road opened in late 2016 and is now the B984.
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