A new slip road near Stonehaven will ease congestion during works to create the Aberdeen bypass, transport chiefs have claimed.
The slip road is expected to open on Friday, meaning southbound traffic using the B979 will no longer need to travel through the town.
To date, motorists have faced lengthy delays due to works in the area, which include demolishing and replacing the existing bridge carrying the A90 over the B979.
The southbound lanes of the existing bridge have been demolished with construction of the new southbound lanes under way.
While this is being carried out, southbound traffic has been restricted to one lane on the northbound carriageway.
Senior bosses of the AWPR team came under fire at Stonehaven and District Community Council (SDCC) when they met with residents to address their concerns.
Community councillor Ian Hunter said: “The biggest impact at the moment is on commuters in the evening coming back from Aberdeen.
“It is a single carriageway with two lanes heading north and one south. Is there any possibility in the evening of switching it to two lanes south and one lane north?”
However, project director Graham Christie said this would not be possible due to health and safety issues.
He said: “We want to keep traffic management at an absolute minimum.
“Tidal flow is a big deal and there is not much space. We carried out a risk assessment and discounted it.”
Changing the tidal flow would mean workers have to move cones during peak times, Mr Christie said.
But it is anticipated the new slip road will ease some of the traffic woes in the area.
Mr Christie said: “When this opens we anticipate it will address the issues.
“Traffic on the southbound slip road will come down the B979 under the bridge and turn right straight on to the slip road and on to Dundee instead of travelling on to Stonehaven.”
Around 50 people gathered for the meeting at the Invercarron Resource Centre.
The southbound section of the new bridge is expected to be completed by August.
Once it is finished the contraflow system will be moved to the new southern half of the bridge, with traffic still moving in two lanes northbound and one lane southbound.
Demolition and construction of the northbound section will then begin.
Speaking after the meeting, chairman of SDCC Phil Mills-Bishop said: “I hope the team has listened to some of the suggestions that were put forward by residents and we see they have been taken on board.”
The team reassured residents the AWPR is on schedule to be finished during the winter of 2017/18.