Aberdeen City Council has announced that it is nearing completion of a major road improvement project, to support the delivery of the Aberdeen City Centre Masterplan.

Works to improve capacity and flow on South College Street are nearing completion with new junctions and lanes due to open.

South College Street from Wellington Place to Millburn Street and Palmerston Place will reopen today (Wednesday 21 June 2023), with the remaining southern section of South College Street expected to open in July.

Traffic signals at the new North Esplanade West/ Palmerston Place junction will be switched on tomorrow, allowing drivers to turn right from North Esplanade West into Palmerston Place.  Drivers may only turn left when exiting Palmerston Place on to North Esplanade West at the new junction.

The final section providing a second left turn lane from Palmerston Place will come in to use during Autumn following the completion of utility works.

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The South College Street Junction Improvements project includes a package of junction improvements and road widening measures and there will also be shared and segregated facilities for pedestrians and cyclists alongside the road.

The main changes to the area include:

• An additional traffic lane along South College Street between Bank Street and Wellington Place;

• An additional lane on Palmerston Place;

• A new traffic signal controlled junction at the intersection of Palmerston Place/ North Esplanade West;

• The alteration of the existing traffic signal-controlled junctions at the South College Street/Wellington Place junction and the South College Street/Millburn Street/Palmerston Place junction adding additional approach lanes and improving operational coordination;

• New and altered walking and cycling infrastructure along the South College Street and Palmerston Place;

• Reconfigured parking and loading areas on South College Street between Millburn Street and Riverside Drive.

The project will support the City Centre Masterplan’s infrastructure strategy for bus priority measures aimed at removing the impact of congestion on bus journey times through the city centre. It will also enable the implementation of public realm enhancements along Guild Street and Union Street, providing alternative options to accommodate the rerouting of vehicular traffic. The project is jointly funded by Aberdeen City Council and a grant from the Scottish Government’s Bus Partnership Fund.

As part of the Roads Hierarchy which is changing access to and around the city after the bypass (AWPR) was built, South College Street and associated roads will have an important role in providing a key route to the city centre as well as facilitating bus priority measures nearby.