The Kintyre Forum

Campbeltown’s Aqualibrium Avenue to open in early August

The new link road through Park Square between Longrow and Kinloch Road in Campbeltown will open in early August. The £600,000 project is being built as part of the Kintyre Renewables Hub Project and will be the new main route into Campbeltown. The new road has been called Aqualibrium Avenue, following a naming competition within the local schools.

The new road will make it easier to transport wind turbine components and see Campbeltown and Machrihanish develop as a centre for the renewable energy industry in Scotland. There will be new junctions at Kinloch Road and Longrow along with new pavements, crossing points, street lights and road signs. It will mean there is no through road from Lochend Street onto Longrow and there will be one way access from Longrow onto Lochend Street.

Lead Councillor for Roads and Amenity Services, Donald Kelly said, “I am delighted the work is almost finished on Aqualibrium Avenue and I believe the new road, along with the other projects happening in Campbeltown, will make a huge improvement over the next few years.”

The new road is one of a number of changes in Campbeltown. Work is underway on new passing places on the A83 and junction widening at the U59 (the road to the wind turbine factory). This will help manage traffic flows when the abnormal load vehicles are travelling between the factory and the harbour. Work has also begun on the New Quay in Campbeltown. New piles are being driven along the length of the New Quay on the inner harbour side, there will be a new concrete groundslab over the pier’s surface, there will be dredging of the adjacent sea bed and there will be widening of the road at the Old Quay Head by reclaiming a small part of the inner harbour. This will make it easier to transport wind turbine components and other freight to the New Quay.

I thought they had kicked that bloody stupid name into touch.

Too much to hope for. Remember Donald and his colleagues chose it because they thought it was actually quite good. Doesn't alter the fact that it is actually as you describe it, gizmo!

Here is a diagram of the road lay out.

The last one I saw had the Lochend Street blocked off which I am sure the residents there welcomed. Now changed.

I see we have to drive on the right on Lochend st.

I suppose that will be some form of rule laid down by the EU.

howlsatthemoon wrote:I see we have to drive on the right on Lochend st.

Well spotted! Not sure of the new road layout but I suppose it is change and we will get used to it. Will never get used to that stupid road name!

Has any thought been given to the effect this will have on traffic flow other than on Kinloch Road, Longrow, etc.? People coming from the Calton scheme to Tesco, for example, can come down Millknowe and turn left into Lochend Street as usual. But to return they'll either have to go up Saddell Street and along Dalaruan (where progress is often difficult owing to parked cars) or along to Main Street and back up Longrow. Anyone coming along Kinloch Road heading for Tesco now has an additional right turn from the start of Aqualibrium Avenue (typed with teeth gritted - please councillors abandon this name!) with the likelihood of queueing at times just where the road becomes narrower. I said in an earlier post on a related thread that the whole thing looks poorly thought out. It does look as if the 'planners' have been concentrating on this small section but had their eye off the ball when it came to the wider picture.

WC1 wrote: Aqualibrium Avenue (typed with teeth gritted - please councillors abandon this name!)

I believe it it was Rory Colville who pushed for the name A.A. being chosen? If that is the case Rory's Folly would a good name for this gaff Why don't you get a petition up WC1 to get the name changed?


This from Kintyre84 on another thread:-

kintyre 84 wrote:The Lochend St / Longrow side of the road will be one way only. THe cars will only be able to come in that way and return out via Aqualibrium avenue.

Once the give way lines and priorities are marked it will make more sense.

Hopefully soon because I am too stupid to understand the logic in painted lines that are in the wrong place on a road that the traffic is allowed to use. I wonder if that idea will catch on, guessing what's coming down from the street to your right before moving out?

I would hesitate to do that, Isa, simply because it would be more publicly embarrassing for the child who put forward the name. However, the name is totally banal and should never have been accepted. It was open to councillors, when looking a the competition entries, to decide that the standard hoped for had not been reached and therefore no prize would be awarded. There is no need to give this road a new name anyway: it is simply a re-alignment of Kinloch Road so should simply be called Kinloch Road. The young lad who was told he had won the competition could simply be told that on fuller consideration it was decided not to rename the road after all. There is still time to achieve this outcome, but rather than organising a petition, if everyone who feels strongly about this emails Donald Kelly (he's the roads supremo now) asking (demanding?) that Aqualibrium Avenue be kicked into touch, perhaps he would see the strength of feeling on this in the town. Donald's email address is:-

Donald.Kelly2@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Let's go for it!

WC1 wrote:Remember Donald and his colleagues chose it because they thought it was actually quite good.

Maybe whoever chose the name lives on another planet

Did they not realise that if you have to make a telephone call to most companies nowadays that it is going to be answered by someone in the Punjab / Mumbai.... and not by someone that speaks English in the Campbeltown Call Centre...

Strange times we live in !

maxmix

Does anyone know who has financed the road changes for Wind Towers. Both in town and the lay-byes on the A83 and the corner being removed past Glenbarr. Is it them or the Council or both?

From Donald Kelly's reply to my email (passed on with his permission):-

"The Area Committee will be meeting in Campbeltown on Wednesday the 1st August at 10.00am in the Town Hall. I have asked that the appropriate Council officer who is dealing with this issue attends to give a presentation on the new proposals. As you are aware there will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions and make their views known. I sincerely hope that you and any other member of the Public who have concerns can come along to the meeting."

I plan to be there. Anyone else?

WC1 wrote:Has any thought been given to the effect this will have on traffic flow other than on Kinloch Road, Longrow, etc.? People coming from the Calton scheme to Tesco, for example, can come down Millknowe and turn left into Lochend Street as usual. But to return they'll either have to go up Saddell Street and along Dalaruan (where progress is often difficult owing to parked cars) or along to Main Street and back up Longrow.

Why would you need to go all the way to Main Street? Can you not just turn right off Kinloch Road on to AA then back up Millknowe? Or is it no right turn on to AA?

Its the "traffic calming" or "nibs" that really annoy me nowadays!.The only purpose i can see that they serve is to narrow the road causing tailbacks and drivers having to weave their way around them,surely a straight wide road is more sensible and safer than those stupid "nibs"!