Aberdeenshire Council has approved a contract for the construction of a much-need footpath to improve access to bus services at Blackdog.

The project was first identified by Aberdeenshire Council when residents of Blackdog faced difficulties accessing bus services after the opening of the A90/AWPR.

Road improvements at Blackdog had resulted in a change to the access points to bus services for residents of the village.

These new bus stop locations increased the walking distance from the centre of the village by around 1km via a new road with a steep incline, prompting Blackdog residents to campaign for better access.

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A proposal to construct a new footpath was included in the council's Infrastructure Services Procurement Plan 2020-21 and the tender formally awarded by the Formartine Area Committee this week.

The 300m footpath will extend from the junction of Hareburn Terrace to the A92/AWPR junction, flyover southbound slip road, footpath and bus stop.

It will be funded through Nestrans and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route: De-trunking Fund, with construction starting next month.

Chair of the Formartine Area Committee, Cllr Iain Taylor, said: "This is tremendous news for the community of Blackdog and will provide them with far easier and safer access to public transport. Aberdeenshire Council remains committed to supporting active travel by maintaining access to an effective public transport network and that is clearly being evidenced by this project."