Although I dare say we will be waiting another 10yrs for them to actually build the fucker:

 

Aberdeen bypass given green light

 

 

The controversial Aberdeen bypass has been approved by ministers.

The Scottish government has given the project the go-ahead after considering the findings of a local inquiry. Industry figures welcomed the decision on the £295m-£395m project, which is aimed at easing traffic and improving business in the north east.  But opponents have criticised the cost and the environmental impact of the 28-mile bypass. Campaign group Road Sense said it would take legal advice. 

 

The planned bypass is aimed at providing a fast link between towns to the north, west and south of Aberdeen.  Subject to all the approvals being met, work could get under way in 2011. Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "This has been a complex issue in which there has been a wide range of issues to consider. "There has also been significant public interest in the proposed route, with clear arguments on both sides.

 

"Having given careful consideration to the issues and arguments, I agree with the reporters' findings and reasoning, and with their recommendation to proceed with the bypass."  He said the bypass was one of the most important infrastructure projects in the north east, bringing a range of substantial benefits to the region. Mr Swinney said it would reduce congestion in the heart of the city as well as remove thousands of vehicles from the area's rural roads.

 

 

Aberdeen North SNP MSP Brian Adam said it was the "best possible early Christmas present for residents and businesses in the north east".  Aberdeen Central Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald welcomed the decision, but called for assurances about project funding, no delays, and stressed the need for better rail and bus services. 

 

And West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles said it was a "vital transport project".  Bob Collier, chief executive at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: "Democracy has now run its course and we would ask any protest groups to think very carefully before taking any action that might delay this investment which has the full support of the vast majority of local businesses and residents."

 

 

Councillor Kevin Stewart, chairman of regional transport partnership Nestrans, described it as a "defining moment" for the local infrastructure. And Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) north east manager Ian Armstrong said it would "boost economic recovery and confidence". 

 

However, Road Sense spokeswoman Sheona Warnock said the group was extremely disappointed at the decision and expected there would be grounds for a legal challenge, including a judicial review. She predicted that would cause significant delays to the project. Friends of the Earth has joined Road Sense in claiming the building of the new road could mean Scotland failing to meet its climate change targets.  Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: "This Scottish government either doesn't understand climate change or doesn't care about it." And Transform Scotland said the project would do nothing to address the key traffic congestion issue in Aberdeen. 

 

The Scottish government said the country could hold its head high at having the most ambitious climate change legislation in the world, and having the determination to implement the targets.  Campaigners also recently criticised the £51m cost of moving the International School of Aberdeen to make way for the road.  A long-running public inquiry was held in Aberdeen last year. The Scottish Government said the probe was necessary because of the public response. Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8424142.stm

 

I live here. I'm not even reading that. I don't need to. The weather was not "unprecedentedly" cold.

 

I live here. I'm not even reading that. I don't need to. The weather was not "unprecedentedly" cold.

 

The article didn't say much. However, there is clearly - and obviously - precedent for coldness, the/my term should have been "unexpected". If the usual number of days below zero is 70 and the figure hits over 100 then that would be unexpected I think it's fair to say, regardless of anecdotal experience.

I live in the centre of town

 

I know it’s colder in the country but I remember scraping ice off my car windscreen once this winter.

 

Let’s double it and say twice.

 

Damp grey miserable we can all agree with but it hasn’t been cold.

 

It’s a lie

I live in the centre of town

 

I know it’s colder in the country but I remember scraping ice off my car windscreen once this winter.

 

Let’s double it and say twice.

 

Damp grey miserable we can all agree with but it hasn’t been cold.

 

It’s a lie

Get up earlier in morning then ya lazy coont 

 

Scraped my way through the whole winter, there was rarely a morning I wasn't out there de-icing

 

What's interesting about the Guardian story, is that it doesn't say who's liable for the cost. It looks like it's just the company informing their shareholders rather than an increased debt of the Scottish government. In which case, excellent contracting, for once.

For twice, ScotGov did the same for the Queensferry crossing. Any excess hits shareholders not taxpayers.

I live in the centre of town

 

I know it’s colder in the country but I remember scraping ice off my car windscreen once this winter.

 

Let’s double it and say twice.

 

Damp grey miserable we can all agree with but it hasn’t been cold.

 

It’s a lie

 

DD it was cold during the winter, I stay to the North of the City and days could have snow outside, but go into centre and nothing. Even when it snows, it usually hangs about longer out in the shire than it does in the City.

 

Once we move to our shiny new stadium, you'll appreciate how colder it gets the further out of the city you go.

It wasn't cold during the winter.

 

Believe me, I know all about driving in snow and ice.

 

It's all a joke you know, they wouldn't really move away from Pittodrie.

 

They'd have to be off their heads to do that.

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The new dual carriageway on the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty is to fully open ahead of Wednesday's rush hour.

 

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas

DD it was cold during the winter, I stay to the North of the City and days could have snow outside, but go into centre and nothing. Even when it snows, it usually hangs about longer out in the shire than it does in the City.

 

Once we move to our shiny new stadium, you'll appreciate how colder it gets the further out of the city you go.

Funnily enough, I live out in Garlogie, we had two days of snow this winter.

 

And yes temps do drop a degree or too further out you go, and vice versa in warmer weather, but you're forgetting to factor in the windchill factor at ice-station Pittodrie

What a cluster fuck.

The bridge at Dyce holding up the opening and there’s now no opening date for the foreseeable.

 

It’s not clear why they won’t open the Stonehaven to Craibstone section, it’s been finished for ages.

 

It'll be something to do with the contract along the lines of not being able to open the road until they give the contractor the taking over certificate which will start the defect liability period, which they won't want to do while the contractor is still working. There will be payment milestones connected to most likely. The MSP chap said something about them being able to open the completed stretch once the contractor agrees to the proposed variation order, that sounds about right. I imagine the VO will be incredibly unfavourable towards the contractor.

What I am wholly and utterly sick of is the local politicians slagging this off at every turn. It's been built, it's nearly open, but to hear the daily pish in the P&J and EE from Lewis McDonald, Mike Belly Rumbles, and Andrew fuckign Bowie, you'd think their party's had all been intent on building this, and if it wasn't for the nasty SNP it would have been done long ago.

 

I will say Lewis did say last weekend that the contractors had a lot of questions to answer, so finally a smidgen of sense, but the other two, they can go and take a lang walk into a midden, the stinking shites that they are.

It'll be something to do with the contract along the lines of not being able to open the road until they give the contractor the taking over certificate which will start the defect liability period, which they won't want to do while the contractor is still working. There will be payment milestones connected to most likely. The MSP chap said something about them being able to open the completed stretch once the contractor agrees to the proposed variation order, that sounds about right. I imagine the VO will be incredibly unfavourable towards the contractor.

 

You were spot on 

Looks like some positive moves are taking place to get the southern section open.

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/fresh-talks-to-open-completed-stretch-of-aberdeen-bypass-positive-says-transport-secretary/

 

 

You were spot on 

Looks like some positive moves are taking place to get the southern section open.

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/fresh-talks-to-open-completed-stretch-of-aberdeen-bypass-positive-says-transport-secretary/

Strange, you'd have thought rent-a-quote Belly Rumbles, or Bowie would be all over that, but nah, can't find the negative angle.

Craibstone to Stonehaven section opening on Wednesday.

Craibstone to Stonehaven section opening on Wednesday.

 

WATTBA Alive.

Thank fuck.

Open. 

 

If you mean the bitty at Dyce then Yasss.Took me 3 attempts to get onto the right road for Ellon the other day

Although I dare say we will be waiting another 10yrs for them to actually build the fucker:

Beat it by 9 months, great shout tho 

Some random comments  -  Seen me taking around an hour to get from Portlethen to where I want to at Dyce pre Bypass,...but today,left Portlethen at 07.30,and was in Foveran at 08.05 

    Heading into town,managing to leave 15/20 mins later.

 

Couple of minor things;

The slip lanes are a bit weird/confusing if youre a newbie

A bit more signage where to get on or off

Still trying to work out what or where Cleanhill was pre Bypass 

 

  Other than that,thumbs up.Almost embarassing how few cars are on it sometimes

Found it slightly surreal driving it today and wasn't going to bother until the signs at Stonehaven suggested it was better for ARI.

The slip road at Stonehaven seems like it was an after thought (is this perhaps leftover from the old road layout) but then it was like the footage of when the M1 or M6 first opened. Mile after mile with little or no other cars on either side and little or no sliproads - plenty of emergency laybys tough one of which had speed camera van.

 

The sliproad for Kingswells/ Westhill/ ARI was well signposted but the way it has been constructed I thought I was pulling onto the hard shoulder. Took a detour to see how Kingsford was getting on and had there not been any traffic I may have been done for speeding as last time I drove that road it was a 60mph race track.

 

I probably should use it tomorrow on the way home but part of me wants to see if there is a visible impact on the Brig'o'dee traffic although sunday afternoon/ evening won't really be a good test case.

Have any Aberdeen residents noted a reduction in the rushhour gridlock on great southern road during the week or is it still best to avoid it between 430 & 7pm on weekdays?

The reduction in traffic at the Brig o Dee at peak times is significant.

 

The AWPR is a wonderful thing.

Have any Aberdeen residents noted a reduction in the rushhour gridlock on great southern road during the week or is it still best to avoid it between 430 & 7pm on weekdays?

literally everywhere has seen a staggering reduction in travel times, with one exception - the on/off roundabout for Westhill/Kingswells at the 5 Mile has seen much longer queues on that stretch of road. Oh how I'm laughing at the W.A.N.K.S 

Still trying to work out what or where Cleanhill was pre Bypass 

It's basically the top end of Ffortesque-Smyth's estate eh? The toff who was so against the AWPR he got the first route blocked, which wasn't going through his land, only for the amended route to go right past his stately home and through his land    and where some back roads around Maryculter went. If you weren't local you'd unlikely to have ever been there.