External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour and Wellington Road Improvements.

Overview

Two parallel studies are currently being progressed by Aberdeen City Council, namely External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour and Wellington Road Multi-Modal Corridor Study. Both studies have reached the stage of stakeholder and public consultation and these are being held concurrently due to the close relationship and overlap between the studies in terms of location and option development. An overview of each study is set out below.

External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour Study

The opening of the new Aberdeen South Harbour (ASH) will have a significant beneficial economic impact on Aberdeen and the wider City Region. The Aberdeen City Region Deal includes funding provision to improve the transport infrastructure and connectivity to the Harbour, in order to maximise these economic opportunities.  These opportunities include the direct benefits of enhanced berthing and dockside capabilities, but also the proposed Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) and the future additional tourism from the berthing of large cruise ships.   

In recognition of this, a STAG (Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance) appraisal is being progressed with the aims of examining transport connectivity to / from the site and identify and appraise appropriate transport options to support the new harbour and wider transport network. Works to be delivered during the construction and initial operation of the Port are already committed. This study therefore focusses on the additional transport infrastructure required beyond the initial period, and includes consideration of anticipated changes to the traffic on the network, and it's distribution to the surrounding area.

The STAG Part 1 appraisal completed in 2018 provided a qualitative assessment of options along with high level cost estimates. The STAG Part 2 appraisal is considering the road, public transport and active travel options identified and approved through the STAG Part 1 reporting process, to a more detailed and quantified level of appraisal.

Please refer to an information pack for External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour Study titled 'Detailed Options Appraisal - Public Engagement Information Pack' which can be found in the ‘Related’ section at the foot of this page. 

Wellington Road Multi-Modal Corridor Study

Aberdeen City Council have also studied the Wellington Road corridor to identify improvements and have now produced a number of options. The STAG Part 2 appraisal considers the road, public transport and active travel options identified and approved from the STAG Part 1 reporting process, to a more detailed and quantified level of appraisal. 

Please refer to an information pack for Wellington Road Multi-Modal Corridor Study titled 'Wellington Road MMCS STAG Part 2'  which can be found in the ‘Related’ section at the foot of this page.

(Consideration is being given as to how options from the External Links to Aberdeen South Harbour Study and Wellington Road Multi-Modal Corridor Study complement each other. The following information pack, see below at foot of the page, provides details of the likely impact of combining various options from the two studies – 'Wellington Road ASH Options').

Why your views matter

Public consultation is required on options for transport links to the new harbour and Wellington Road corridor.

As above, over the last 18 months, Aberdeen City Council has been working with partners to appraise options through the STAG appraisal process for both the External Transportation Links to Aberdeen South Harbour and Wellington Road Multi-Modal Corridor studies.

The next stage in the process is engaging with local stakeholders and members of the public to seek views on the likely impacts of the options for each study on individuals and businesses to assist us in maximising the opportunities which the studies present locally, regionally and nationally. This will help us make the best decisions and deliver the options which best complement each other along with maximising the positive impacts and minimises the negative impacts.  

This survey questionnaire introduces the options for each study and asks for your views on the pros and cons of each.

What happens next

The outcomes of this engagement exercise for each study will form part of the overall study STAG appraisal reports and these will be reported to Councillors early in 2021, thereafter a timeline for delivery of the preferred options will be prepared.