Roads update for week starting 16 June 2025

Date: 12 June 2025

Time: 01:00

A summing up of road delays and closures due to road and building/utility works, cruise visits and events - for the week starting Monday 16 June 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 – please note these closures may be cancelled or amended 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 

Cruise related road closures

Cruise related closures for the period 16 June – 23 June 2025 inclusive are as follows.

Albert Street and Bridge Street will close between the hours of 10am and 4pm on:

Wednesday 18 June
Saturday 21 June

Community events related road closures

Saturday 21 June 2025 - Firth Community Association – Fancy Dress Parade

Undernoted roads in Finstown will be closed on Saturday 21 June 2025, between 19:15 and 20:30 to enable the annual Fancy Dress Parade (Firth Community Association) to be held in safety.

A965 from the Pomona Inn to Old Finstown Road
Old Finstown Road from the A965 to Acre Lea
Delays to X1 and No7 West Mainland Evening buses

Saturday 21 June: Clan Cancer’s Monumental Midnight Walk

Roads in central Stromness will be closed for Clan Cancer’s Monumental Midnight Walk on Saturday night 21 June (and into the early hours of Sunday). Church Road, Ferry Road and Back Road, from 9pm on Saturday, 21 June 2025 until 1am on Sunday, 22 June 2025. Temporary Closure of Roads in Stromness for Clan Cancer’s Monumental Midnight Walk

Road works starting in the coming week:

The following surface dressing works are expected to take place. Dates are indicative/weather permitting – follow the Council’s Facebook page facebook.com/oicupdates or Telegram channel t.me/OIC_Roads for daily updates.

Main A961 through St Mary’s village, Holm – from Friday 13 June (weather dependent)

The main A961 will close at St Mary’s village in Holm from Friday 13 June, between the 30mph signs, to enable OIC surface dressing works. School transport and the Stagecoach X1 bus service will be able to pass through the works under the guidance of site staff though there may be slight delays. The signed diversion for motorists is via the B9052 (past Graemeshall), War Memorial, Moss Road and rejoining the A9601 at Wilderness Junction. Works are expected to continue on Monday 16 June, however the road will fully reopen over the weekend. Bin collections will continue as normal and access will be maintained for residents under the guidance of site staff though there may be some delays.

Graemeshall Road (near Biggings Road) - from Tuesday 14 June (weather dependent)

Graemeshall Road will close from its junction with Biggings Road to the junction with the B9052 (near Graemeshall House/Farm). Works are expected to take place between 14 and 15 June.

South Ronaldsay: Haybrake Road - from Wednesday 18 June (weather dependent)

Haybrake Road will be closed (from A961 to Aikers Road) to enable surface dressing to be carried out.

South Ronaldsay: St Margarets Road – 17 to 18 June (weather dependent)

St Margarets Road in the Hup will close (from A961/top of village to Cromarty Square) to enable OIC surface dressing works. School transport and the Stagecoach X1 bus service will be able to pass through the works under the guidance of site staff though there may be slight delays. Traffic will be diverted via Church Road. Access to the village from the A961 will be maintained though there may be delays at times. Works are expected to take around two days to complete, weather dependent. Bin collections will continue as normal and access will be maintained for residents under the guidance of site staff though there may be some delays.

South Ronaldsay: B9044 Grimness Road - closed 19 June to 20 June

Grimness Road (also known as South Cara Road) will be closed 9from the main A961 to the second passing place on Aikers Road) for around two days to enable OIC surface dressing works. Access for residents will be maintained under the guidance of site staff though there may be some delays.

Notes:

The annual surface dressing road works started on 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 - all dates are indicative and subject to change due to weather: https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/drive-with-care-as-2025-road-works-season-ramps-up/

Interim updates are issued via the following channels:

Telegram: t.me/OIC_Roads
Facebook: facebook.com/oicupdates
Website: www.orkney.gov.uk (look for the social media panel)

Roadworks coming up soon:

Junction Road works – Scottish Water – 23 to 26 June

Scottish Water are planning further works on Junction Road and Holm Branch Road during week commencing Monday 23 June 2025, with the works being carried out under road closure conditions which will affect all traffic in the area.

Union Street (bottom of Clay Loan) will be closed on 23 and 24 June to enable replacement of a manhole cover at the junction of Union Street and Junction Road. Two-way temporary traffic signals will be in place on Junction Road in the vicinity. Traffic affected by the closure of Union Street will be diverted via Holm Branch Road and Holm Road. This will affect public buses No 4 Airport, No 9 Town Service and No 6 Tingwall. The Airport and Town Service buses won’t be able to service Clay Loan. The first Service 6 bus (08:40am from Travel Centre) to KGS and Tingwall will also not serve Clay Loan and will instead follow the diversion).
Once the above works are completed, Holm Branch Road will be closed to enable the replacement of a manhole cover to be carried out in safety. This is planned to take place on Wed 25 and Thurs 26 June 2025. All traffic will be diverted via Holm Road, Clay Loan & Union Street for the duration of the work on site. To enable bus services to negotiate Junction Road and Union Street junction, three-way traffic lights will be in place there with significant delays for all traffic including the No 3 Deerness bus, No 4 Airport bus and X1. In order to help minimise delays to bus services and essential traffic, other motorists should avoid the area where possible.

Category:
- Roads, Lighting and Parking
- Service Disruptions
- Transport

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