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Plans for new Aberdeen harbour link road to go through community ruled out

by Jamie Hall
28/01/2021, 1:41 pm Updated: 28/01/2021, 5:30 pm
© Kath Flannery/DC ThomsonThe Coast Road would be widened and a new bridge built if the option is approved.
The Coast Road would be widened and a new bridge built if the option is approved.

Councillors have welcomed a report which rules out the possibility of creating a new road through an Aberdeen community.

An options appraisal on proposed transport links for the city’s new harbour development at Nigg Bay will go before the city growth and resources committee next week.

One of the proposals on the table, option A5, had been to create a link road between Souter Head Road and the Coast Road.

However, residents and councillors previously hit out at the plans, fearing it would lead to an increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles in the Burnbanks Village area.

Now council officers have recommended the council press ahead with option A4, which would involve accessing the harbour and energy transition zone site via the Coast Road and Hareness Road.

© Supplied by Aberdeen City Counci
Options for new transport links to the South Harbour.

The Coast Road would be widened and a new bridge would be built over the railway to accommodate an increase in traffic.

Kincorth, Nigg and Cove councillor Sarah Duncan, said: “I am very pleased for all my constituents in Cove and Altens that the preferred harbour link road avoids their community.

“The proposed route will remove the incentive for harbour traffic to use the Coast Road at Cove but it’s important that the work improves Coast Road layout and the signage to deal with the problem of HGVs using Langdykes Road instead of the agreed routes through the industrial estate.”

© Jim Irvine/DC Thomson
The harbour expansion is under construction.

Fellow ward councillor Philip Sellar added: “Throughout this process the administration has shown that it takes the concerns of residents living in Cove and Altens seriously. I particularly welcome the decision not to propose option A5.

“Creating a new road link between Souter Head Road and the Coast Road would have undoubtedly made the ongoing issues faced by residents of Burnbanks Village with HGVs worse.

“The preferred route of option A4 means that no new road links will be going through the community and hopefully there will be fewer issues with HGVs going through Cove as most of them will be going through the proposed route in the industrial estate instead.”