Roads update for week starting 9 June 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 9 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 9 June – 16 June 2025 inclusive are as follows.

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

• Monday 9 June
• Tuesday 10 June

Community events related road closures

7 June: Kirkwall City Pipe Band

Roads in central Kirkwall will close on Saturday 7 June 2025 from 1830 until 2030 for a Kirkwall City Pipe Band parade. Roads affected are: Albert Street, between its junctions with Laing Street and Broad Street; Broad Street, between its junction with Albert Street and Palace Road; and Castle Street, from Broad Street to car park exit on Castle Street.

Road Works:  

Starting in the coming week:   

Denwick Road, Deerness – from Monday 9 June 

Denwick Road in Deerness will close starting Monday 9 June between the B9050 to Seater (top of Manse Road), for around three days, to enable OIC surface dressing works. 

Halley Road, Deerness – from Monday 9 June 

Halley Road will close between the junction with the B99050 to Braebuster, from Monday 9 June for around three days, to enable OIC surface dressing works.  

Main A961 through St Mary’s village, Holm – from Tuesday 10 June 

The main A961 will close at St Mary’s village in Holm from Tuesday 10 May, 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 – all other traffic will be diverted via B9052 (past Graemeshall) and A9605 (via the airport). Works are expected to finish on Friday 13 June. Bin collections will continue as normal. 

Graemeshall Road (near Biggings Road)  - from 12 June 

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 12 and 18 June. 

Ongoing closures and delays:    

Surface Dressing 

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)

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 further ahead: