Roads update for week starting 7 July 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

 Anticipated cruise-related closures for the period 7 Jully – 14 July 2025 inclusive are below: 

There are no cruise related road closures.

Community events road closures

Saturday 5 July – Kirkwall City Pipe Band parade 

Roads in central Kirkwall will close between 6:30pm and 8:30pm for a Kirkwall City Pipe Band parade affecting Albert Street, between its junctions with Laing Street and Broad Street; (2) Broad Street, between its junction with Albert Street and Palace Road; and (3) Castle Street, from Broad Street to car park exit on Castle Street.  

Orkney 2025 International Island Games 

There will be road closures between 12 and 18 July (inclusive) in association with Island Games events - please check the Island Games website www.orkney2025.com

There will be changes to some Council-run public bus and ferry service timetables due to Games events and road closures - details can be found at www.orkney.gov.uk/orkney2025

Road Works:  

Starting this week:  

High Street/Wellington Street/Old Scapa Road 

From Monday 7 July, weather permitting, Council crews are planning to make a start on line marking at Wellington St, High St and Old Scapa Road from Monday, 7 July - following on from our recent surface dressing there. This means:

• High St/Wellington St will be one way only from Junction Road up to Glaitness Road.
• It'll be right turn only out of Glaitness Road - with a short diversion along Old Scapa Road and Foreland Road. 
• There will be minor delays for the No 9 Town bus service. 

Scottish Water emergency works at Mill Street  

As at Friday 4 July, Scottish Water have carried out emergency repairs to their network at the bottom of Mill Street and temporarily reopened the road. However, Scottish Water will return on Monday (7 July) to finish off the necessary road repairs.

This will mean:

• No access off King Street into Mill Street to the garden centre / Willows area/Council car park at rear of School Place offices.
• Anyone wanting to access the Garden Centre or the staff car park at the rear of the Council's Kirkwall offices in School Place **will need to travel downhill on Mill Street from the Willows direction (ie past the chippy).
• At this stage we don’t have any timescale from Scottish Water for completion.

Slab repairs in central Stromness 

From Monday 7 July, OIC will be carrying out some slab repairs in central Stromness, with sections of road noted below being closed for about two hours in each location:  

• John Street  
• Victoria Street, the fountain to Church Road 
• Victoria Street, Church Road to Graham Place 

B9042, South Ronaldsay 

From Monday 7 July, OIC are planning to 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 road closure conditions. There will be minor delays for all traffic including those travelling to and from Herston. 

Holm Branch Road, Kirkwall 

Scottish Water are planning to close Holm Branch Road, Kirkwall on Thursday 10 July to carry out permanent reinstatements on the manhole covers that were recently replaced. All traffic will be diverted via Holm Road, Clay Loan and Union Street, with delays likely for all traffic at the Union Street, Junction Road junction.

Line marking/sweeping 

Crews are out and about sweeping and line marking in various locations following the recent surface dressing works – please watch out for them and 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/

Coming up soon: 

A961, Burray - From the week starting 14 July, OIC will be carrying out carriageway surfacing and reconstruction works in Burray on 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. To enable the first two phase of the works the Viewfield Road will be closed at its junction with the A961 - diversion signage will be in place for affected traffic and Fossil Centre access. All traffic including the X1 public bus service will be subject to minor delays  - please allow extra time for journeys.  

Ongoing closures and delays:    

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. 

Looking further ahead:     

A965 Quanterness to Rennibister 

We are currently planning to carry out some edge of carriageway reconstruction works, with the works planned to start mid-August from Quanterness Farm to Rennibister Farm. 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 public bus services (X1, 6 Tingwall, 8S Skara Brae) will be subject to minor delays please allow extra time for journeys. 

Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall 

Works are planned for mid to late September to repair a manhole cover on Pickaquoy Road. To enable the work to be carried out in safety, the east bound side of Pickaquoy Road will be closed for around three days between Great Western Road and Junction Road, for (ie between McEwen’s Roundabout and Great Western Road junction opposite Lidl supermarket). Signed diversion route will be in place for affected traffic.