Kingswells Community Council

Article from P&J: 08:50 - 27 February 2008

A £300,000 cycle track under construction near one of Aberdeen's busiest road is three weeks behind schedule.

The winter weather and changes to the design are being blamed for the delay at the A944 Westhill to Aberdeen road.

The track is part of a new cycling route stretching for five miles from Hazlehead Park in the city to Westhill.

The first £300,000 phase - funded by regional transport partnership Nestrans - is from Hazlehead roundabout to Den of Maidencraig, as well as two stretches either side of the Lang Stracht roundabout.

It was expected to take 14 weeks to be built.

A spokesman for Nestrans said: "The first phase is about three weeks behind schedule, due to minor redesign work and weather-related delays commonly experienced at this time of year.

"The new timescale has no impact on project costs."The second and third phases, thought to cost a total of £280,000, will be built in the next year or two.

There are five phases with the last two currently in the design stage.

The phases are to be funded by Nestrans, potentially with partners such as cycling route charity Sustrans.

Nestrans director Derick Murray said: "This (first) phase forms part of a longer-term project aimed at ultimately creating a complete cycle route between the city and Westhill.

"It is a component part of a capital programme that features all forms of transport, and the programme itself is in turn part of our overall strategy designed to achieve an integrated transport solution for the challenges we face, across all transport modes. Westhill is a fast-growing commercial centre so traffic levels are significant in both directions, and the creation of a cycle route can only help to address that.

"Further, anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of cyclists on our roads is growing, and the provision of safe and effective facilities will help those numbers to grow further and thus address traffic congestion."

The project forms part of Nestrans' capital budget for the existing financial year and the first phase will be completed within this financial year.

The work for the first phase was being undertaken by Aberdeen City Council on behalf of Nestrans.