Roads update for week starting 12 May 2025

A summing up of road delays and closures due to road and building/utility works, cruise visits and events - for the week starting Monday 12 May 2025.

You can zoom in for a detailed view of roadworks carried out by the Council at www.orkney.gov.uk/roads 

Road works and closures by other bodies are published on the Scottish Road Works Commissioner website https://roadworks.scot/ 

Anticipated closures related to cruise line visits for the 2025 season can be viewed here https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/the-orkney-islands-council-cruise-liners-temporary-closure-order-2025/ – please note these can be cancelled at short notice due to changes in confirmed passengers numbers or bad weather cancellations by liners.  The Orkney Islands Council (Cruise Liners) (Temporary Closure) Order 2025 

Community Events and Cruise

Saturday 17 May: Norwegian Constitution Day

Roads in central Kirkwall will close (and parking will also not be permitted) on Saturday 17 May in connection with Norwegian Constitution Day, between 11.30am and 1.30pm. Roads affected are Albert Street; Bridge Street; Broad Street; Castle Street (car park exit to Broad Street); Palace Road (Watergate to Broad Street); Tankerness Lane (one way section only); and Victoria Street (Broad Street to Victoria Road). 

Cruise related closures

There are no cruise related closures for the week of 12 – 19 May 2025.

Starting in the coming week: 

Surface Dressing programme

Surface dressing works are planned to start 14 May 2025 and are expected to take around eight weeks to complete. All surfacing works are planned to be carried out under road closure conditions which will affect all traffic with the exception of school transport. Further detail of the roads affected are available here:  https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/drive-with-care-as-2025-road-works-season-ramps-up/ - and this coming week's work is set out below.

• Russland Road, Harray - From Wednesday 14 May OIC will be carrying out surface dressing works on the Russland Road from the A986 to Lochview. Works are expected to take around three days to complete and will be carried out under road closure conditions. Crews will be allowing access for school transport.

Grainshore Road, Kirkwall

From Tuesday 13 May OIC will be carrying out repairs to a manhole on Grainshore Road and is expected to take around three days to complete, in the vicinity of Colin Greggs cars, (between Auction mart and Grainshore Drive junction). Traffic management will be done under ‘give and take’ and may cause minor disruptions to the cruise liner buses.

Ongoing closures and delays:  

Cromwell Road, Kirkwall 

From Tuesday 6 May 2025 OIC will be carrying out surfacing /haunch works on Cromwell Road, Kirkwall between the Coastguard Station and Islands View Road junction. Works are expected to take around two weeks to complete and will be under road closure conditions. The closure will impact the Number 9 Kirkwall Town service bus, causing significant diversions/delays. The bus will divert via Islands View, Moar Drive, East Road, School Place, and Clay Loan to Kirkwall Travel Centre. Because of the significant diversion involved the bus will not be able to operate to timetable, potentially running several minutes late at times. The image below shows tge diversion for the No 9 Town service bus during this closure. The usual bus route shown in green - the diversion for the bus is shown in yellow. The road closure marked in solid red; the dotted red line is the part of the route the bus cannot serve.

Junction Road, Kirkwall (near Albert Hotel)

Junction Road near the Albert Hotel still has some restrictions and delays as work remains ongoing at the site. A scaffold tower is still in place at the hotel which will restrict the free flow of traffic and there may be short road closures during the working day to enable materials to be delivered.

Looking further ahead:   

Junction Rd/New Scapa Rd

Scottish Water are planning to carry out works to repair manholes covers (date TBC) in various areas along Junction Road/ New Scapa Rd. The works will be mainly carried out under road closure conditions. Further information will be supplied in due course.