Mintlaw drivers face two days of A952 closures this October

Name: Road maintenance and infrastructure trial on A952 near Mintlaw
Start: 2026-10-29T09:30:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-30T16:30:00+00:00
Location: A952 near Mintlaw

Politics Desk 2026-10-23 13:24 3 min read

An aerial drone view of a yellow school bus navigating a dark roundabout at night.

Drivers using the A952 near Mintlaw should plan around a daytime closure on 29 and 30 October 2026, when Aberdeenshire Council installs solar-powered road studs as part of a lower-carbon roads trial. The work is on North Street between the A952 and the C4B road, from 9.30am to 4.30pm each day. Signed diversions will run via the A952, A90 and A952. The council has not stated a price or booking arrangements; the trial is relevant to road users travelling through the area.

Where the closure applies and how the diversion works

The wider testbed runs along the A952 between the East Mains of Pitfour roundabout and the pavilion on North Street. The specific closure for the stud installation affects North Street between the A952 and the C4B road. Drivers should follow the formal diversion signs via the A952, A90 and A952 during the stated hours on both days.

The roadworks are one part of a broader trial of lower-carbon lighting and visual road technology. The council is also installing highly reflective signs and new road markings, alongside the solar-powered studs. These measures are intended to reduce emissions associated with building and maintaining road infrastructure while testing safety on the route.

Lighting changes are planned for 30 October

On 30 October, the council plans to switch off streetlights at and around Balring Roundabout, as well as on the A952 south to just north of the garden centre access. This lighting change is separate from the two-day stud installation and closure.

The section is on the village edge, where the council says pedestrian activity after dark is minimal. It has also identified a pedestrian island with nearby bus stops and says mitigation measures have been designed for that location. These include passive infrared sensor-controlled lighting at the island, solar-powered studs and high-performance materials for road markings and signs.

Driver behaviour will be monitored using AI to analyse optical and thermal video streams. A safety audit is due after the lights are switched off. The trial will therefore assess the lighting and road technology over time, as well as the immediate installation work.

A trial backed by Live Labs 2

The work is part of Live Labs 2, a three-year, £30 million UK-wide research programme funded by the Department for Transport. Aberdeenshire Council is among the local authorities supporting East Riding of Yorkshire Council in trials of lower-carbon highway technology. The projects focus on reducing the carbon impact of local highway infrastructure and are due to be followed by five years of monitoring and evaluation.

For road users, the confirmed practical detail is the North Street closure from 9.30am to 4.30pm on 29 and 30 October, with a signed diversion via the A952, A90 and A952. No separate event price, booking, entry or accessibility arrangements are stated in the council information. Check the signed route and allow for the closure when planning a journey through Mintlaw during those hours.

Source: Aberdeenshire Council News

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The dates, closure hours, location and trial details were checked against the supplied Aberdeenshire Council source.

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