The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Traffic lights junction replacement plans for major city roundabout
Amajor roundabout in Aberdeen could be removed during the next phase of the South College Street improvement works.
Under the latest plans, the roundabout linking North Esplanade West, Riverside Drive and the Queen Elizabeth Bridge to South College Street would be replaced by a new junction with traffic lights.
The busy area is used by commuters every day and is also a key HGV route to the city centre and harbour.
However, council planning chiefs believe replacing the roundabout with a junction will make the area safer for “all road users”, encouraging active travel and helping “future bus priority measures”.
The latest proposed shake-up could be carried out during the next phase of the long-running South College Street improvement works, despite concerns it would cause traffic chaos.
The junction would have a four-stage traffic light system and staggered individual crossings.
There would be a mix of cycle lanes and shared cycle and footway paths.
No changes would be made to the Queen Elizabeth Bridge because it is not wide enough to add a shared path.
It is unclear how much the project would cost or when work could start.
However, officers admitted there is currently no funding for the project, meaning the council will need to seek additional cash from elsewhere.
Transport committee convener Ian Yuill said: “This is a stage on a journey, it is not a final decision – not least because there is currently a distinct lack of funding.
“But I think it is important we have city roads that accommodate all road users and particularly the safest possible junctions for all road users, whether you’re on foot, wheeling, cycling or driving a vehicle.”
Plans to improve South College Street have been on the cards for nearly 20 years but work only began in summer 2022.
During the first phase, the road was shut to all traffic, causing congestion and queues across the city.
The multi-million-pound project included widening roads, new cycle routes and revamping parking areas outside the railway arches.
It coincided with upgrade work at King George VI Bridge, causing months of misery for drivers.
According to the council, the new measures were designed to draw traffic away from the city centre by reducing congestion, as well as improving bus journey times.
The plans to replace the existing roundabout with a signalled junction have been slammed as “more unwanted chaos”.
Councillor Duncan
Massey said the layout change is “not necessary and not wanted”.
While planning chiefs believe the proposed new junction will improve cycle links in the city, 70% of respondents to a council survey said they were against the plans and wanted to keep, but improve, the roundabout.
Planners argued that most people who took part were car drivers, which is why the option to keep it as a roundabout came top.
When the results were broken down, the majority of cyclists were in favour of changing the roundabout to a junction.
Mr Massey said: “It is coming from an anti-car council administration that once again seems set to ignore public opinion and seems obsessed with making life difficult for motorists in the city, to deliver very minor, marginal and costly improvements to active travel routes.”