Opening of the route linking Craibstone, Stonehaven and Charleston means that 85% of the project can now accept vehicles. Next to complete is a crossing of the River Don, scheduled for later this month.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Michael Matheson said the new section of highway “will immediately make a tremendous difference to road users” across the north east of Scotland.

He added: “The full benefits of these works will be realised when the remaining section of the project between Craibstone and Parkhill also opens to traffic.”

Aberdeenshire Council leader Jim Gifford said: “These new sections of the Aberdeen western peripheral route will quickly become essential routes for the many people who live and work in the area, as well as those coming to visit the north east of Scotland.”

 This latest opening on the project follows earlier completions between Balmedie and Tipperty in August and from Parkhill to Blackdog in June. A section between the Craibstone Roundabout and Dyce Drive section opened in September 2016.

Last month TP Weekly News reported that further delays to the scheme had been revealed in the Scottish Parliament. It was said that defects to the River Don structure require more work to repair than initially thought.

 Delays have meant that the scheme’s full opening date has been put back an entire year from the winter of 2017 / 18 completion targeted at the start of works.

(Photograph: Transport Scotland)