Speaking ahead of the opening Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: "This new section, which will make more than 85 per cent of the project open to traffic, will immediately make a tremendous difference to road users across the north east. It will provide thousands of drivers every day with benefits including improved journey time reliability, better local access and reduced congestion, while safety will also be enhanced."
This 32km section represents around 55 per cent of the entire AWPR/B-T project and links to key junctions between Stonehaven in the south, Craibstone to the north and Charleston to the east.
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Stonehaven Junction forms the most southerly Junction between the A90 (south of Stonehaven), the A92 and the AWPR. In addition to enabling traffic to move between the A90 (south of Stonehaven), the A92 and the new AWPR, and vice versa, it also provides a connection to the B979, which links southwards to Stonehaven and northwards to Netherley.
The connection between the A90, A92 and the new AWPR takes the form of a large roundabout, which is linked to the new road by northbound merge and diverge slip roads. This roundabout is the southern terminus of the AWPR, and also has links to the B979 northwards to Netherley, and southwards to Stonehaven.
Traffic travelling south on the AWPR and wishing to continue south on the A90 will make use of the B979 towards Stonehaven, which has been widened where it passes beneath the new bridge carrying the A90 over the B979. A new traffic signal controlled junction has been installed between the A90 and the railway line, and southbound traffic can turn right to join the A90 southbound, or continue south to Stonehaven.
This junction also enables northbound traffic leaving Stonehaven to turn left to join the A90 southbound or to continue north to the roundabout and links to the B979, the AWPR or the A92 northbound. The southbound diverge from the existing A90 also connects to this traffic signal controlled junction.
