Progress on Third Don Crossing

15 December 2015

Progress is taking shape on the new Third Don Crossing with all of the major structures nearing completion.

All of the retaining walls – including the large retaining wall in Tillydrone as agreed with the local community - are well advanced with concrete having been poured to the Don Bridge deck and copes, and the Mill Lade Bridge is also nearly finished.

Road construction works at the south side of the bridge are continuing - Gordons Mills Road to Meadow Place is substantially complete, the east side of Gordons Mills Road/Tillydrone Road from Meadow Place to Coningham Terrace is progressing, and Tillydrone Road/Avenue from Coningham Terrace to St. Machar Drive is substantially complete.

Construction work is also progressing at St Machar Drive roundabout where the junctions are to be widened and the roundabout replaced by traffic signals.

The construction of the new road from Grandholm Village to Laurel Drive is well underway and a temporary diversion is in place to and from the village while the pedestrian/cycle underpass is constructed and Grandholm Drive realigned to meet the new road.

Aberdeen City Council finance, policy and resources vice convener Councillor Ross Thomson said: "There is good progress happening on the sites at both sides of the River Don which is fantastic news as the crossing will transform city connectivity for people living and working on both sides of the river.

"Local residents will see a big difference getting around their area, along with commuters travelling in and out of Aberdeen, and visitors discovering the different parts of the city.

"It's exciting to see the work so far on the project and I'm sure people in the area are watching the progress with interest.

"The high quality of the work and the appearance of fixtures such as the retaining wall in Tillydrone are to be commended too, as it's important we take the community's views into consideration."

The Third Don Crossing will see the construction of a new single carriageway link road between the Parkway/ Whitestripes Road junction and the Tillydrone Avenue/St Machar Drive junctions, including the construction of the new bridge.

Work started in August 2014 and the contract completion date is expected in March 2016.

The bridge beams were lifted into place in July by a specialist 1,000-tonne crane, after they were transported to the site in six sections, four to Grandholm Village on the north side of the River Don on 18 June, and the remaining two to Tillydrone on the south side on the following days.

The project requires the construction of two bridges – a 26m reinforced concrete bridge over the mill lade at Grandholm Village and the 90m span steel box girder bridge over the Don. Balfour Beatty is the main contractor for the project.