Aberdeen City Council has revealed a detailed timeline for the works at the Castlegate, an integral part of the council’s extensive regeneration efforts. The project, which started on Monday, June 22, 2026, focuses on the installation of new utility services and is anticipated to continue until October this year, though the council notes the schedule remains indicative and subject to alteration.
The works are structured into multiple phases, beginning with excavations on the south side of Castlegate, extending from Old Blackfriars towards the Carlton Bar. This initial excavation phase is projected to span approximately four weeks.
Following this, utility installation works will be undertaken by providers including BT Openreach, City Fibre, and Vodafone, also expected to last four weeks. A temporary tarred pedestrian walkway is being implemented to maintain access for the public and adjacent businesses throughout these periods.
Subsequent phases will see excavation work shift to the north side of Castlegate, from La Lombarda to Justice Street, starting in early August for another four weeks. During this period, the bus lane on King Street adjacent to Castlegate and the walkway on the west side between La Lombarda and Old Blackfriars will be closed. A temporary pedestrian crossing will be relocated from outside the Archibald Simpson to the La Lombarda entrance on King Street. Utility installations on the north side will then take place, coinciding with the backfilling of excavations on the south side.
Further excavations on the King Street walkway are scheduled for early September, lasting around three weeks.
The final stages, Phase 5 and 6, involve slab laying on the reinstated south side and the backfilling of northside excavations. Ultimately, slab laying will commence on the north side of Castlegate between La Lombarda and Justice Street, concluding the major reinstatement efforts.
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These developments at the Castlegate occur against a backdrop of ongoing challenges within Aberdeen’s broader City Centre and Beach Masterplan, a £150 million commitment by the council. Residents and businesses have previously voiced concerns regarding delays to the nearby Union Street Central revamp. This project, initially estimated at £20 million, has seen its cost rise to approximately £23.8 million and has experienced significant schedule overruns.
Delays to the Union Street Central scheme, which aims to transform the “Granite Mile” between Union Terrace and Market Street, have been attributed to the discovery of previously unrecorded utilities and buried structures beneath the road surface, as well as productivity issues and logistical complexities. While the Union Street project was initially hoped to conclude by late 2025, its completion is now anticipated to extend into late summer or early autumn 2026. The Castlegate project itself acknowledges the potential for similar discoveries of unrecorded services to cause delays. Notably, BT Openreach has yet to provide a firm commitment for its portion of the utility works at Castlegate.
