Roads update for week starting 23 June 2025
Date: 19 June 2025
Time: 05:00
A summing up of road delays and closures due to road and building/utility works, cruise visits and events - for the week starting Monday 23 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
There are no anticipated cruise related closures for the period 23 June – 30 June 2025 inclusive.
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:
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.
Ongoing road works and delays:
Surface dressing
Our annual surface dressing road works started on 14 May 2025. While the main surface dressing works are now completed, crews will be returning to all locations in coming weeks for sweeping and line marking. We'd ask motorists to be mindful of that and to heed any speed limits which are there for everyone’s safety and to help the newly laid chips bed in nicely. 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/
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)
Outertown Road, Stromness
SSEN have now a temporary bridge on Outertown Road which is now in use and is likely to remain in place until September 2025.
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 ahead:
B9042, South Ronaldsay
From Monday 7 July , OIC are planning of carrying out haunch reconstruction works on the B9042 in South Ronaldsay at the junction near to Quoybanks farm and Hools Road. Works are expected to take around one week to complete and will be done under Rroad closure conditions. There will be minor delays for all traffic including those travelling to and from Herston.
A961,Burray
From around 14 July, OIC will be carrying out carriageway surfacing and reconstruction works in Burrayon the main A961, from Echna Loch to Northfield Road junction. Works will take place in sections and are expected to take around 12 weeks to complete with temporary traffic lights and speed restrictions in place. All traffic including the X1 bus service will be subject to minor delays - please allow extra time for journeys.
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Category:
- Roads, Lighting and Parking
- Transport
- Service Disruptions
