Castlegate sealed off as diggers move in for investigation in bid to avoid delay disaster of Union Street revamp
Workers have sealed off sections of Aberdeen's Castlgate as they investigate what lies underneath the surface ahead of a major revamp.
The preliminary investigation into the historic plaza is being carried out in a bid to avoid further delays with the major rejuvenation of Aberdeen city centre.
It comes after the completion date for the first phase of the Union Street revamp was pushed to next spring due to problems with a 'spaghetti' of cables found underneath.
Castlegate is one of the areas mooted for a multi-million-pound makeover, with the whole stretch of the Granite Mile, the beachfront and Queen Street also to get a facelift.
The revamp of Castlegate is technically planned to begin after the Tall Ships event in July.
However, construction workers will soon start digging through the decades-old slabs to see what they will have to deal with months in advance.
Similar preliminary investigations were carried out outside the Primark on Union Street last year after workers faced loads of issues with the first phase of the Granite Mile upgrades.
Engineers were 'surprised' to find a web of old pipes and cables when digging up the stretch between Market Street and the St Nicholas kirkyard.
This eventually resulted in the whole project being delayed.
And to avoid this happening again, Morrison Construction – which has been tasked with the revamp – have already started preparing ahead of the main works taking place on the Castlegate.
A section of Castlegate has now been sealed off, with the works expected to take about a month – until May 23.
These will involve digging small, shallow trial holes to help locate buried utilities or unexpected ground conditions.
There will also be a small number of boreholes to help assess soil layers and deeper ground conditions.
Earlier this year, council officials released new design images showing how Castlegate will look once the improvements are complete.
The Mercat Cross will be surrounded by more outdoor seating and public art displays, with new planting and street lighting installed.
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