Roads update for week starting 19 May 2025
Date: 15 May 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 19 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 – 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) this Saturday 17 May in connection with Norwegian Constitution Day, between 11.30am and 1.30pm. This will affect the No 4 Airport and No 9 Kirkwall Town Service public buses. 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). Temporary Closure of Roads in Kirkwall for Norwegian Constitution Day.
22-25 May - Orkney Folk Festival – Central Stromness
Roads will close in central Stromness as follows for the Orkney Folk Festival:
- Ferry Road (from Ferry Terminal carpark exit to Victoria Street), all Stromness, from 8am on Thursday 22 May 2025 to 23:59pm on Sunday 25 May 2025; and
- Victoria Street (from John Street to Church Road); and John Street (from No 27 to Victoria Street), all Stromness, on Saturday 24 May 2025 from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 25 May 2025 from 10am to 6pm; and
- Parking will also be prohibited between 8am on Thursday 22 May 2025 and 23:59pm on Sunday 25 May 2025, within certain bays on Victoria Street and Ferry Road.
- Full details here : https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/the-orkney-islands-council-orkney-folk-festival-temporary-closure-order-2025/
Saturday 24 May: Kirkwall City Pipe Band
Roads in central Kirkwall will close on Saturday 24 May 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. You can view more details and look ahead to other coming KCPB parades at Kirkwall City Pipe Band Parades
Cruise related closures:
There are no cruise related closures for the week of 19 – 25 May 2025 inclusive. (Next expected closure: Tuesday 27 May - Bridge Street and Albert Street, Kirkwall, will close between the hours of 10am and 4pm.)
Roadworks starting in the coming week:
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: https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/drive-with-care-as-2025-road-works-season-ramps-up/. The coming week’s closures are:
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B9056 near Marwick, Birsay (19 May to 23 May)
From Monday 19 May, OIC will be carrying out surface dressing works on the B9056 near Marwick, Birsay (from the junction with Marwick Road to the junction with Skidge Road). Works are expected to take around one week to complete and will be carried out under road closure conditions. School Transport will operate as normal for pupils in the Marwick / Birsay area. However the 8S public bus service will be subject to diversions and potential delays. With the exception of the last bus of the day from Stromness (departing at 1728) which will be able to operate as normal, the 8S will not be able operate through Marwick or via Birsay (Birsay Hall) and will instead divert via the Loons Road to connect with the A967 at the Twatt Church.
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Bristol Road, Sandwick (from B9056 to Quoyloo Road)
19 May to 22 May: From Monday 19 May OIC will be carrying out surface dressing works on Bristol Road from B9056 to Quoyloo Road. Works are expected to take around 4 days to complete and will be carried out under road closure conditions.
Ongoing closures and delays:
Outertown Road, Stromness
There will be a temporary bypass for vehicles while a temporary bridge is constructed to enable SSEN to lay steel ducting for their interconnector project.
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/Wellington St
On Monday 26 May Scottish Water will be carrying out works to repair manholes covers along Junction Road/ New Scapa Rd and Wellington Street. Closures will be in place from and including the junctions at Wellington Street/Main Street to Manse Road and works are expected to take around one week to complete. All public buses will experience delays and will not be able to serve that section of Junction Road and New Scapa Road, diverting instead via Clay Loan and Holm Branch Road to and from the Balfour Hospital. There will be a right turn only at the bottom of Clay Loan/Union Street onto Junction Road for all traffic.
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Category:
- Roads, Lighting and Parking
- Service Disruptions
- Transport
- Community
