Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route This document is a non-technical summary of the Environmental Statement for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. Copies of the full Environmental Statement Environmental Statement 2007 and the Draft Road Orders are available to view at the following locations: Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Managing Agent Transport Scotland Aberdeen Business Centre Trunk Roads: Infrastructure and Professional Services Willowbank House Buchanan House The way ahead Non-Technical Summary Willowbank Road 58 Port Dundas Road The timetable below sets out the estimated timescales for Aberdeen Glasgow AB11 6YG G4 0HF the next stages of the project. August 2007 Aberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire Council 2007 Publication of Draft Compulsory Purchase St Nicholas House Woodhill House Orders and Side Road Orders Broad Street Westburn Road Aberdeen Aberdeen Re-publication of Draft Special Road Orders AB10 1BX AB16 5GB and Draft De-trunking Orders Copies are also available for the public to view at selected Aberdeen City and 2008 Probable Public Local Inquiry (PLI) and decision Aberdeenshire Council offices and public libraries or on the AWPR website www.awpr.co.uk Publication of Made (Final) Orders A bound paper copy of the Environmental Statement may be purchased at a 2009 Procurement of construction works cost of £500 or in DVD format at a cost of £10 by writing to Transport Scotland. Further copies of the Non-Technical Summary are available free of charge from the 2010 Construction begins Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Managing Agent. Any person wishing to comment on the Environmental Statement should write to: 2012 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route opens to traffic Transport Scotland Trunk Roads: Infrastructure and Professional Services Buchanan House 58 Port Dundas Road Glasgow G4 0HF Comments are invited within six weeks of the advertised date of publication of the Environmental Statement. Working in partnership To Peterhead South Kingswells (A944) Ellon AWPR to Craibstone Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Scheme Location Plan A944 to Aberdeen Key Plan To Peterhead A944 to Westhill Milltimber Junction (A93) Goval Junction (A947/B977) Blackdog Junction (A90) Legend AWPR to Milltimber AWPR to South Kingswells for large scale A90 Ellon AWPR to Goval maps A947 to Dyce AWPR to Craibstone River Don To Aberdeen Grass Verge Grass Treatment Ponds Treatment Detention Basins/ A947 to Newmachar To Potterton Cleanhill Junction To Banff & Macduff AWPR to Cleanhill Newmachar Local access A90 PROPOSED SCHEME PROPOSED Cutting to A93 Embankment A90 to Ellon Route Proposed To Blackdog AWPR to Blackdog AWPR to Charleston Fig 20 A947 Fig 17 NORTHERN LEG Goval Fig 19 Fig 18 Blackdog Fig 16 Fig 15 OTHERS Waterbodies Bridge of Don Watercourses AWPR to Milltimber Aberdeen Fastlink to Stonehaven To Inverurie Airport Dyce National Cycle Route Charleston Junction (A956) North Kingswells Junction Craibstone Junction (A96) A96 A90 To Aberdeen Fig 13 AWPR to Craibstone Kingswells Westhill A956 Fig 12 Monument (SAM) Monument A96 to Aberdeen Ancient Scheduled A944 ABERDEEN CITY HERITAGE CULTURAL A956 to Altens A90 AWPR to Cleanhill Fig 11 AWPR to Goval SOUTHERN LEG Cults Bieldside Fig 10 Stonehaven Junction (A90) AWPR to South Kingswells Milltimber AWPR to North Kingswells River Dee Peterculter A93 Significance A956 A96 to Inverurie LANDSCAPE Area of Landscape Area Fig 9 Fig 7 FigCharleston 8 To Dundee Cleanhill Fig 6 Fig 5 A90 Fastlink to Cleanhill AWPR JUNCTIONS Portlethen Study of Grade separated junction Fig 4 Environmentally Site of Interest to Site of Interest Sensitive Areas (SESA) Areas Sensitive Natural Science (SINS) Grade separated half junction To Aberdeen Newtonhill Fig 3 At grade junction (roundabout) A90 to Dundee FASTLINK Muchalls (DWS) Fig 2 Woodland ECOLOGY District Wildlife Sites Wildlife District B979 A957 Fig 1 Stonehaven Interest (SSSI) Interest Special Area of Area Special Conservation (SAC) Site of Special Scientific Introduction The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) is a Need for the Scheme new 46km long dual carriageway proposed jointly The AWPR was identified as a key element of an by the Scottish Executive, Aberdeen City Council integrated transport system for the North East of and Aberdeenshire Council. The proposed scheme Scotland, following studies by the regionalTo Peterhead transport comprises three sections: partnership NESTRANS. The overall proposals are called the Modern Transport System (MTS)Ellon and n NORTHErn LEG (North Kingswells to include a range of public transport measures as well Blackdog) as the AWPR. n SOUTHErn LEG (Charleston to North Kingswells) To Banff & Macduff Newmachar A90 n FASTlinK (Stonehaven to A947 NORTHERN LEG Cleanhill) Goval Blackdog Bridge of Don These sections are shown on the plan at the front of Aberdeen To Inverurie Airport Dyce this booklet, with more detailed maps of the route at A96 A90 the back. Kingswells Westhill A956 It is anticipated that construction will start in 2010 A944 ABERDEEN CITY and that the road will open for use in 2012. A90 SOUTHERN LEG Cults Bieldside This booklet is a Non-Technical Summary of the Milltimber River Dee Peterculter A93 Environmental Statement (ES) prepared in 2007 for A956 the AWPR. The 2007 ES replaces the December 2006 Charleston ES, which is now withdrawn. Cleanhill MTS Elements A90 AWPR JUNCTIONS Portlethen The ES is a report of the findings of the Grade separated junction Grade separated half junction Newtonhill Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) work At grade junction (roundabout) carried out on the scheme proposals. This summary FASTLINK Muchalls seeks to present the key issues identified from this work, including the beneficial and adverse impacts B979 considered to be of particular importance, in an A957 easily understandable form. Full details of all impacts Stonehaven identified may be found within the ES. The MTS was developed in recognition of the level of congestion experienced on existing roads in and around Aberdeen, together with the use of unsuitable local roads by traffic wishing to bypass the city. The AWPR functions within the MTS by removing traffic from both the city areas AWPR Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary August 2007 01 and unsuitable local roads, thus enabling public In December 2005, following consideration of transport improvements to be implemented. the alternative corridors and informal public consultation, the Minister for Transport selected To achieve this, the AWPR acts as both a bypass for the Milltimber Brae option for the route corridor long-distance traffic and a distributor road for local between Charleston and Kingswells, with the journeys. In doing so, it provides links between addition of a link to the A90 at Stonehaven. The n Stonehaven (A90) structures to cross the River Dee, the River Don and existing and proposed Park and Ride sites and corridor between North Kingswells and Blackdog the Aberdeen to Inverness Railway, as well as at the connects industrial sites around the city with each remained unchanged. n Charleston (A956) junctions on the route. Street lighting will only be other and with the proposed rail freight transfer required in junction areas, where it will be restricted sites. Various options have been considered in the work n Milltimber (A93) to the side roads and the ends of the slip roads. outlined above. This process has involved the production of a number of reports and papers n South Kingswells (A944) that set out the environmental, engineering and Alternatives considered economic advantages and disadvantages of the n North Kingswells General Approach to Environmental options in question. Impact Assessment Proposals for a peripheral route around Aberdeen n Craibstone (A96) have been considered for many years. In the The EIA has been undertaken as an integral part 1990s proposals were developed for the Western The Proposed Scheme n Goval (A947/B977) of the design process, informing decisions on the Peripheral Route (WPR) connecting Charleston, on proposals as they were developed. Environmental the A90 south of Aberdeen, with Craibstone, on The main road has been designed in accordance with n Blackdog (A90) constraints and issues were identified and the A96 west of Aberdeen. In 2002 proposals were the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, which sets incorporated into the decision-making process developed to connect Craibstone with Blackdog on out requirements for Trunk Roads. The side roads and No other public access will be provided to the route, throughout. This process used information gathered the A90 north of Aberdeen. accesses have been designed to standards agreed although a gated access for the emergency services in the extensive surveys carried out since early 2004. with the local authorities. will be provided on the Fastlink, south of Cookney at The aim of the EIA is to: The combined corridor was named the AWPR and Elrick. adopted by the Scottish Executive for promotion as The main road will be dual carriageway with two lanes n Gather information about the environment a Trunk Road in 2003. Between October 2003 and in each direction, except for the section between The Fastlink and the Southern Leg connect to each of the study area and identify environmental December 2004 the proposals were refined within North Kingswells Junction and Craibstone Junction, other at Cleanhill Junction. constraints and opportunities that may the corridor, at which time the Scottish Executive which will be three lanes in each direction. Access to influence or be affected by the proposed requested that consideration be given to alternative the route will be possible at the following junctions, The AWPR will be classified as a Special Road, and scheme corridors for the southern section of the route. which, in order from south to north, are located at: access will be restricted to certain classes of vehicles. For example, farm vehicles and cyclists will not be n Identify and assess potential environmental permitted. impacts Side roads and existing paths and tracks crossed by n Identify and incorporate design features and the route will be maintained or realigned wherever measures to either avoid or reduce adverse practicable.