B9073
| B9073 | ||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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| From: | Wick (HU437393) | |||
| To: | Scalloway (HU419400) | |||
| Distance: | 1.4 miles (2.3 km) | |||
| Meets: | A970, A970 | |||
| Highway Authorities | ||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||
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The B9073 is a short link road on Shetland Mainland, connecting two branches of the A970 to the west of Lerwick, and forming a sort of bypass for the island capital.
The route starts at Wick on the ex-A968 within view of the east coast and heads west along a winding route of good S2 standard: the road has obviously been improved from its original course. There are a couple of quite deep cuttings, and another section where the road has been cut into the hillside to widen it without a severe gradient. Along the way there are very few buildings, a couple of agricultural or industrial sites sit almost out of site above the cuttings, and a single house towards the western end. The route then ends at a T-junction on the ex-A969 to the east of Scalloway.
History
Apart from the upgrades the road is unchanged from its 1922 route. It has ended on the A970 at both ends since that road was significantly extended after World War II. The upgrades are, however, quite extensive. The eastern end of the B9073 was originally the line of the A970, which looped around to the north west of it's current course around Wick. The old junction survives at the top of the first cutting, and is now a farm road which meets the B9073 a couple of hundred metres west of the new junction. As the B9073 sweeps round the long left hander, the old road can be traced on the moor to the right, with the southern link much more obvious, but both ends are tarmacced as far as farm gates.
As the new road sweeps into the next cutting, the old road can be seen on the left, and continued straight ahead to a sharp elbow bend in the yard to the south, with the yard being built over the old road, and using it to rejoin the modern line. The junction at the eastern end has also been realigned, the B9073 previously staying on the east bank of the Trowie Burn, and crossing it further south, roughly where the old road appears on the west side of the A970, although nothing seems to remain of the old bridge. These improvements have all been carried out since 1972, and were presumably paid for with the 'oil money'.