Buses are to return to the central section of Union Street in the next few weeks to comply with an instruction from a meeting of Aberdeen City Council’s Full Council in February.
A new traffic order which allows the change to take place means local service buses will be able to use that section – from Market Street to Bridge Street/Union Terrace –including the bus stops.
The traffic order takes effect from 21 June however First Bus and Stagecoach will announce their plans for restoring services to the central section of Union Street once roadworks currently taking place have been completed and an opening date has been confirmed.
Aberdeen City Council is currently undertaking the re-lining and signage works and these works are due to finish by 21 June depending on availability of materials and weather.
Peter Knight, Managing Director of Stagecoach Bluebird, said: "After almost two years of diverted bus routes within Aberdeen city centre as a result of social distancing measures, we are pleased that services will shortly be able to return to the central section of Union Street. We would like to thank our customers for their patience during this time."
"We look forward to working closely with Aberdeen City Council and other stakeholders to understand how the revised layout and bus gates will work in practice, as well as the further development of the longer-term plans for the city centre".
Duncan Cameron, Managing Director for First Bus Scotland, said: “We welcome the reopening of Union Street for bus traffic. This change will allow us to speed up journeys and improve accessibility to city centre for bus users across Aberdeen.”
The traffic order states vehicles - other than buses and cycles - will not be allowed to use that section as a through-route.
The reopening includes establishing bus gates at two places on Union Street, at its junction with Market Street, and its junction with Bridge Street and Union Terrace. Taxis would access the area via Back Wynd.
The traffic order states that access to Union Street for vehicles for the purpose of loading adjacent to properties, or servicing properties, will be permitted between 4.30pm and 11am, and entry will be by way of Back Wynd.
The traffic order includes that a Pedestrian and Cycle Zone will be established in the Belmont Quarter - Back Wynd, Belmont Street, Little Belmont Street and Gaelic Lane. Blue badge parking will also be established there.
For the purpose of vehicles loading adjacent to properties, or servicing properties in the Belmont Quarter, access will be permitted between 4.30pm and 11am, while access will be retained at any time to properties that have established vehicular accesses to off-street areas. These are the same access arrangements and times for the Belmont Quarter which have been in place for approximately two years.
There will be traffic management restrictions put in place to direct traffic through the Belmont Quarter and a section of Little Belmont Street will be closed to motor vehicles.
The traffic order states that vehicles on Union Street will be prohibited from turning right onto Diamond Street. The traffic order also states it will be experimental so as to allow the City Council to modify or vary the scheme at short notice once in force should circumstances require.