Works to improve pedestrian safety in Stromness are set to get underway this week.

The town is set to undergo improvements with upgraded or newly installed crossing points, including lowered kerbs, aimed at facilitating pedestrian movement, especially for those using wheelchairs or pushing prams. Additionally, a traffic island is also planned for the bottom of the Back Road.

In the past, pedestrians have faced challenges navigating this crossing, especially where the road widens at its junction with North End Road and traffic coming from three different directions. Reduced visibility adds to the difficulty, depending on the pedestrian's crossing point.

A traffic island will provide safe refuge for pedestrians to stop midway through crossing to allow traffic to pass.

However, progress on this specific aspect has been temporarily halted to facilitate additional discussions with the Stromness Community Council. The Council has expressed concerns over the potential effects on particularly large vehicles turning in and out of the road – something which extensive modelling of the new road layout has shown not to be the case.

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Hayley Green, the Council's Corporate Director for Neighbourhood Services and Infrastructure, said: "As anyone knows who lives in, works in or visits Stromness its historic layout gives rise to quirks within its roads and streets– some of which can make for challenging conditions for pedestrians to get around safely.

"As a local authority, the responsibility to ensure safe crossings lies with us. Some problems we cannot easily solve but the issue of the Back Road junction we can. These accessibility improvements will help some of the most vulnerable in our community, incorporating tactile paving for the visually impaired and improving road safety for all road users, particularly elderly and school children.

"Our professionally qualified team has carried out extensive planning and modelling works to ensure that the traffic island can provide the safe refuge needed but also be easily navigated by those using large vehicles – albeit it at a reduced speed, which is also a positive change

"We’ll continue our discussions with the Community Council on this – but would provide assurances that the concerns they have raised have very much been taken into consideration in the development of this vital project."

The work is being funded by a grant from HITRANS through the Regional Active Travel Grant – Path Improvement Fund