B983 (Wapping Street - North Anderson Drive)

This article is about the former B983 between Wapping Street and North Anderson Drive in Aberdeen.
For the current B983 using Denburn Road in Aberdeen, see B983.

The B983 was originally an urban B-road heading west from Aberdeen city centre, mostly at right angles to the route now carrying the number.

Route

The route started at traffic lights on the A93 gyratory near the station and headed north along Bridge Street, soon crossing the A9013 (originally A92) Union Street at traffic lights. It then followed Union Terrace alongside the Gardens to traffic lights opposite the library, where it TOTSOed left to follow Rosemount Viaduct. Originally there was a brief multiplex here with the then B985, but later the B9119 (now A9119) crossed at the next set of traffic lights. The B983 continued ahead along South Mount Street. The tall, old granite terraces and buildings of the city centre give way to lower blocks, interspersed with some more modern buildings, but many are still home to shops and businesses. At the next set of lights, the route turned left onto Rosemount Place to start heading out through the suburbs.

Mid Stocket Road

At the next set of lights, the B986 came up Esslemont Avenue from the south and doglegged across onto Watson Street to continue north, after which the A978 was crossed at another set of traffic lights. Immediately afterwards, the B983 TOTSOed right at a fork junction onto Mid Stocket Road, which it followed for the best part of a mile. The blocks of older housing end quite abruptly at the school, which sits in parkland on the right. Soon after a service road is gained on the left, and then the route met the A92 (previously A947) at traffic lights. From 1922 through until the late 1980s, the route continued west along Lang Stracht, now the A944, to meet the old A944 route just east of Kingswells. Until about 1970 it went straight across Anderson Drive (A947), but later gained a short multiplex with the A road as a shopping centre was built across the original road line. However, in recent years the A944 has been re-routed along the western part of the former B983, before taking to Westburn Drive as it crossed the A92 and headed into the city centre. The B983 therefore ended at the top of Mid Stocket Road where it met Anderson Drive. The old A944 is now mostly the A9119.

In the city centre, the B983 originally had its southern end on Union Street. Bridge Street was at one time part of the B987, although owing to the road's short length it is not known when the number was changed. It is probable that it happened when the gyratory was constructed, certainly after 1970, with the A93 taking over the rest of the old B987 route.

The remaining part of the original B983 route was declassified and the number reused for the present route along Denburn Road in 2020.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Junction with A944 near Kingswells - Aberdeen