Ferryhill Road is set to reopen by late August while SSEN Transmission pursues investigations on South College Street to fix a damaged duct; a further short closure of around four weeks will follow to complete cable installation and permanently reinstate the road.

Traffic restrictions on Ferryhill Road in Aberdeen will be lifted for a period in the coming weeks as SSEN Transmission progresses its underground cable replacement scheme in the city.

The project, which replaces decades-old infrastructure linking the Redmoss and Clayhills substations, is designed to safeguard a secure and reliable electricity supply for homes and businesses across Aberdeen.

Most of the new cable has now been installed and many associated traffic measures have already been removed. However, Ferryhill Road remains closed while engineers investigate water ingress affecting the cable duct system, which is preventing completion of the final section between Millburn Street and Clayhills Substation.

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To ease disruption, the cable joint bay on Ferryhill Road will be temporarily reinstated so the route can reopen to traffic by the end of August, while further investigations continue.

Those investigations will involve excavating sections of South College Street between Millburn Street—where works are already under way—and Clayhills Substation to locate and repair the damaged duct.

Once the repair is completed, Ferryhill Road will need to close again for approximately four weeks to finish installing the cable and to carry out the permanent reinstatement of the carriageway.

SSEN Transmission will continue to work with Aberdeen City Council to plan excavation along South College Street at the most suitable times to minimise disruption. It is also exploring options to reduce the extent of current excavation on Millburn Street.

Nearby residents and businesses will be kept informed directly about any changes affecting the works.

Hannah Fergie, Project Manager at SSEN Transmission, said: "We recognise the disruption these works have caused and would like to thank local residents, businesses and road users for their patience as we work to resolve this issue and complete the project.

"While extensive testing has been carried out, locating defects within decades-old underground infrastructure can be challenging. Following discussions with Aberdeen City Council and our contractor Balfour Beatty, we have agreed an approach that will allow Ferryhill Road to temporarily reopen while investigations and repairs continue elsewhere along the route.

"This major cable replacement project represents a significant investment in Aberdeen's electricity network and will help maintain a resilient and reliable power supply for decades to come. While unforeseen issues can arise on projects of this scale, we will continue working closely with Balfour Beatty and Aberdeen City Council to minimise disruption and complete the works safely and efficiently."