Motorists in Dundee are in for another headache as another six weeks of roadworks begin on Dock Street on Monday.
The works are to realign and improve Dock Street as part of the waterfront development and will close the road to through traffic for more than a month.
Traffic ground to a halt only a fortnight ago as work to demolish the old Tay Road Bridge ramp got under way. The work was completed within two days but motorists stuck in queues were frustrated by the delays.
Dundee City Council said it is doing everything it can to minimise disruption and maintain access and will carry out the work in two separate phases as the street is resurfaced and new kerbing is installed.
In the first section of the work, parts of Dock Street, Crichton Street and Whitehall Crescent adjacent to the podium block will be closed with bus and taxi traffic diverted along Dock Street and Whitehall Crescent, Whitehall Street, Nethergate and Crichton Street.
When that phase is complete there will be a partial closure at the east side of the podium block and a full closure on the west side of Dock Street to the south of the Tasting Rooms pub. Traffic will be diverted around Whitehall Crescent.
Businesses on Dock Street said they are already worried about what another six weeks of disruption will do to their profits.
Lisa Jackson from the Dog Food Shop said: ”We could be doing without the whole thing. It’s been nothing but problems since it started.
”It would be worth it if there was an end in sight but it’s going on for so many years. We sell a lot of big bags that customers have to be able to pull up in their cars to load and you can see already some of them aren’t stopping.”
Derek Dolan, a director at the Tasting Rooms, agreed the roadworks are very frustrating but said it will be worth it.
”It will be a lot of disruption for us but it’s for the good in the long run,” he said. ”I know that everybody around here is suffering drastically. Our profits are down but what can you do?
”It’s progression but it definitely makes trading a lot more difficult. We’ve had no relief whatsoever. The rates have never changed and you still have to pay for your car parking.”
Mr Dolan stressed that pedestrian access will still be in place for his restaurant and they will remain open to customers.
”We are open for business, trading as usual. We will never, ever close.”
Michael Chan, the owner of Rama Thai, is similarly stoical about the works.
”There’s nothing I can do about it so I’m not going to complain,” he said. ”It will be good when it’s finished. If a job has to be done it has to be done. At least they’re making these changes to Dundee now.”