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| Route information | ||||
| Length | 146 mi (235 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end | Edinburgh | |||
| Major intersections |  M9 M90 spur A902 A904 A972 A92 A96 | |||
| North end | Fraserburgh | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Primary destinations | Perth,Dundee,Forfar,Stonehaven,Aberdeen,Fraserburgh | |||
| Road network | ||||
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TheA90 road is a major north-to-south road in easternScotland, running fromEdinburgh toFraserburgh, throughDundee andAberdeen.[1] Along with theA9 and theA82 it is one of the three major north–south trunk roads connecting theCentral Belt to northern destinations. The A90 is not continuous: there is a gap between Dalmeny and Perth, but theM90 connects those two places.
The creation and development of the A90 road has to be understood in terms of the development of the economy of the North-East of Scotland, which had resulted in an increase in traffic along the route between Perth and Aberdeen.[2] In recognition of this, in 1979, the British government announced that it was giving priority to the upgrading of the route to dual carriageway standard. It had already been decided that the trunk route between Dundee and Stonehaven, which had previously followed the same route as the railway line between the two towns, would now follow an inland route through Forfar and Laurencekirk. The new route would incorporate theA85 from Perth to Dundee, the A929 between Dundee and Forfar, the A94 between Forfar and Stonehaven, and the A92 from Stonehaven to Aberdeen; in 1994, the confusion of numbers was resolved with the renumbering of these roads and the creation of the A90 (M90) Edinburgh to Aberdeen trunk road.[2] The coastal route from Dundee to Stonehaven was detrunked in 1978, at the same time as the inland route was trunked.
In 1994, it was stated that £139 million had been spent since 1979 on upgrades to the then-A90 between Perth and Aberdeen (the section between Stonehaven and Aberdeen has since become part of theA92).[3]
A grade-separated junction atLongforgan was opened in 1996.[4]
The section of the A90 betweenBalmedie and Tipperty was upgraded to dual carriageway in 2018.[5][6] On 3 September 2018, the former section of the A90 betweenStonehaven andBlackdog was renumbered A92 in preparation for the opening of theAberdeen Western Peripheral Route, which became the new route of the A90.[7]
From Edinburgh, the A90 travels west and connects to theM90 motorway bypass route that leads to the M9: however, it is only possible to travel northbound when reaching this connection. After connecting with the M90, it runs as a short section of A-road before turning into the M90 properly at theQueensferry Crossing. AtPerth, beneathKinnoull Hill, the M90 again becomes the A90, now running north east toDundee and through the Kingsway road system. It then passesForfar,Brechin andStracathro.
After crossing theCowie Water just north ofStonehaven, a new junction, opened in 2019, reroutes the A90 road north as part of theAberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), bypassing the city to its west past the suburban developments ofPeterculter,Milltimber,Westhill andKingswells, turning east pastAberdeen Airport andDyce. The section of road previously part of the A90 was made part of theA92 and continues viaNewtonhill,Portlethen,Cove Bay, the urban area ofAberdeen and theBridge of Don before rejoining the A90 atBlackdog Junction, where the A'PRT terminates. Continuing north, the route crosses theYthan Estuary nearEllon where it becomes a single carriageway, skirtingPeterhead (and crossingBalmoor Bridge) on its way to Fraserburgh. TheA952 road viaMintlaw is one of Aberdeenshire's principal freight routes.[8]
The Dundee to Aberdeen stretch of the A90 has many speed cameras. Previously, the 60-mile (97 km) trip from Dundee to Aberdeen along the A90 entailed over a dozen speed cameras including a majority of fixedGatso types as well as locations used by mobile camera vans. These cameras were found on long fast stretches of road, and shortly before dangerous junctions, such as at theLaurencekirk junction where a 50 mph (80 km/h) speed limit is in force.[9] This was introduced due to this junction's appalling safety record. A similar speed restriction was imposed atForfar until two new grade-separated junctions were built, after which the restriction was lifted.[citation needed] In 2017 Average Speed Cameras were erected between Dundee and Stonehaven, with 15 per side, spaced approximately every 5 miles (8 km) for a total of 30 cameras. BBC News reported in January 2018 that speed limit compliance had increased from 2 in 5 to 99 in 100 drivers.[10]
A short stretch of the A90, from the southern terminus of the M90 toBarnton Junction (a junction with theA902), is part ofEurorouteE15, which runs fromInverness toAlgeciras inSpain. The E15 continues northwards on the M90, and southwards on the A902 leading to theEdinburgh City Bypass.[citation needed]
The A90 ran along the coast and through Aberdeen until the city was bypassed with the opening of theAberdeen Western Peripheral Route in 2018. The former stretch of A90 from Stonehaven through to just north of Aberdeen is now part of theA92.
In January 2016 the Scottish Government announced £24 million for the design and construction of a new grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk on the A90.[11] Ground investigations were carried out in 2019 in preparation for upgrading the flat junction between the A90 and the A937 to a flyover after a number of deaths.[12] This followed years of local campaigning.[13] However, in 2021 it was announced that work had been delayed. The proposed flyover would require the closure of a flat crossing at Oatyhill Farm which is now the sole access point to some properties after the nearby 170-year-old Oatyhill Bridge, which crosses theDundee–Aberdeen line, was closed to road traffic in 2020.[14] However, supplementary draft Orders and an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (Addendum) was published in December 2024 to facilitate the necessary works required at Oatyhill to allow the flyover to be built.[11]
Dualling of the section north of Aberdeen has been subject to studies since the 1980s. A proposal was published in 2007 for dualling the section betweenBalmedie and Tipperty.[15] While the Balmedie to Tipperty segment was eventually dualled as part of wider AWPR works, in 2023 the Scottish Government said it had no plans to dual the route north of Ellon.[16]
A90bridges span numerousrivers, estuaries andburns including:
Media related toA90 road (Scotland) at Wikimedia CommonsA roads in Zone 9 of theGreat Britain road numbering scheme | ||
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57°26′03″N1°51′38″W / 57.43406°N 1.86059°W /57.43406; -1.86059
