A £2.5million programme of road repair work in Aberdeen is about to get under way.

The work, which will include resurfacing roads, repairing pavements, drainage systems and replacing street lighting columns, is being paid for using savings from the Marischal College project.

The budget has been split and will provide:

• £1,850,000 worth of road and carriageway repairs on streets which were badly damaged by the severe weather;
• £250,000 of drainage repairs to tackle the problem of water flowing between the blacktop layers of carriageway, which results in much of the damage to road surfaces;
• £200,000 of footpath works which will be targeted at footpaths classed as bad;
• £200,000 of street lighting improvements to replace lighting columns which are beyond their design life.

All new street lights are being designed with energy reduction as a main consideration, so reducing the energy bill.

The works are in addition to the 2010/11 capital programme set out in this year's budget, which include resurfacing the northbound carriageway of Ellon Road and repairing the Queen Elizabeth Bridge.


Several roads will be resurfaced using the money diverted from the Marischal College contingency fund and the original capital budget, including: Wellington Road northbound from Craigshaw Road to the Balnagask Road junction; Wellington Road southbound from Greenbank Road to Craigshaw Drive; stretches of the A93 North Deeside Road in Milltimber and Peterculter; the B979 Malcolm Road from the Aberdeenshire boundary for approximately one kilometre; Leuchar Den to Denmill and edge works from Crombie Circle northwards; Balgownie Road from the Parkway to Braehead Way and Bodachra Road to Scotstown Road; Riverview Drive from Todlaw Walk to the Asda roundabout; Great Southern Road from the Bridge of Dee approximately 400metres northwards; Springhill Road from Greenfern Road to Ythan Road [this is underway]; Wingate Road from Tillydrone Road to the car park; Kingswells Avenue from Kingswood Drive to Kingswells Crescent; The A974 Stoneywood Road from south of Greenburn Drive to Stoneywood Terrace; Broad Street from Upper Kirkgate to Queen Street.

A further £548,000 has yet to be allocated for resurfacing work and £75,000 for drainage operations.

Details of and dates for the schemes will be issued as they progress.

The council has hired contractors to help it carry out the essential works, which will help to improve the city's road network.

Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Director Gordon McIntosh said: "The floods in September and October, combined with the extremely harsh and prolonged winter wreaked havoc on the city's roads, leaving the council with a huge task to repair the roads.

"Roads staff have been working extremely hard to repair the roads since the thaw and are continuing to do so. The extra £2.5million allocated by the Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee from the Marischal College contingency fund will allow us to carry out a significant amount of extra essential repair work to roads, drainage systems, footpaths and street lighting.

"Unfortunately £2.5million is not enough to bring all of our roads up to scratch and considerable investment is still required here, as it is on the roads network across the UK."

(GK/KMcA)