News from Orkney Islands Council
The street has been closed to traffic whilst repaving work was carried out across the junction of Albert Street and Broad Street.
Works will now move to the front of The Reel and the adjoining car park – the car park will be closed at points during this work. This is then followed by the area in front of the Clydesdale Bank mid to late March.
Works will also be getting underway on the new path to the war memorial shortly. During the work the footpath adjacent to the cemetery will be closed as will the adjoining cemetery gate.
To provide space for the contractors to carry out the work in safety, a temporary one-way system will remain in place throughout in the top half of Castle Street, between the exit from the car park and the junction with Broad Street. A one-way system is also be in place in Broad Street.
Drivers can turn into Castle Street from Junction Road and on into Broad Street. But vehicles do not have access from Palace Road into Broad Street. A signed diversion via Clay Loan is in place. In addition, vehicles cannot turn into Castle Street from Albert Street – but can drive on into Broad Street.
This initial phase of the project is due for completion early May after which works will be suspended for the main summer season. Work will move to the entrance to Victoria Street in the autumn, with work being suspended again in December for Christmas shopping season.
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I’m going to putter about this……….
The Council can blather all they like about how “These issues are well rehearsed and understood by the design team.” But they don’t give a straight forward answer to the question – will there be kerbs to help blind and partially sighted people to be able to tell where the pavement ends? They may have given a straight forward answer, somewhere, but I have yet to read one.
I have an idea – what if whoever is in charge of this project, were to be blindfolded, given a guide dog, and told to negotiate the centre of Kirkwall? That might have interesting results.
If people have coped for so long with the street being closed to traffic shouldn’t we just close the street for good?
Now, there’s a thought, Nicholas. Pedestrianisation, would mean that kerb edges wouldn’t matter so much. That’s a really good idea!