The construction of the AWPR was coupled with extensive upgrades to the A90 continuing north with the 9-mile (14 km) Balmedie to Tipperty dual carriageway, supplanting the existing road which was subsequently detrunked and is now the B977.

[9] The Balmedie to Tipperty road is not part of the bypass despite being built in conjunction with it and therefore not bound by the AWPR's statutory instrument, making it an ordinary dual carriageway.

[12] Prior to the introduction of the AWPR, the only dual carriageway route heading from north to south was Anderson Drive, the city's original bypass constructed in the 1930s.

The road was unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles as they could not cross the Bridge of Dee at its south end, therefore large vehicles were forced to detour along the B9077 across King George VI Bridge before returning to Anderson Drive via Broomhill Road, resulting in local and strategic traffic coming into conflict in a built-up area which caused serious safety concerns.

[18] By December 2018, the AWPR had fully opened to motorists with the exception of between the Craibstone and Goval junctions which was due to concrete problems at the River Don Crossing.

[19] The entire road became operational on 19 February 2019 - later than planned partly due to weather issues and the January 2018 collapse of contractor Carillion.

[20] Giving evidence to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee in December 2018, a spokesman for Balfour Beatty agreed that the total cost of the bypass could be "in the area of" £1 billion.

[30] Keith Brown, the then Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities also advised that the scheme may open in stages where possible in an effort to relieve existing traffic, with the announcement of the preferred bidder for the contract expected in the summer of 2014.

[49] Local campaigners in Stonehaven raised concerns over the proposed design for the interchange of the existing A90 dual carriageway and the new Fastlink section of the AWPR.

A local farmer offered land for free to support an alternative design for the interchange, but Transport Scotland said changes at this point would add delay and jeopardise the now late completion date of 2017, this was due to road orders and other legal instruments having already been made.

It was also announced that the consortium would be bringing forward the scheduled completion dates for the Craibstone and Dyce junctions by Autumn 2016, to be soon followed by the Balmedie to Tipperty dual carriageway by the first half of 2017, following requests from stakeholders.

[56] Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, along with Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown, Leader of Aberdeen City Council, Jenny Laing and Leader of Aberdeenshire Council, Jim Gifford attended the site at Balmedie on 16 February 2015 to perform the ceremonial ground-breaking and officially commence the start of the construction programme.

[57][58][59][60][61] The main site office was constructed at Ury, Stonehaven with a local firm successfully tendering for and providing the temporary accommodation units.

[65] The first major traffic management systems for the works included a new 30 mph speed limit around the local roads in the vicinity of Dyce, Goval and Parkhill.

[66] In addition, traffic lights and lane closures on the A93 North Deeside Road at Milltimber Brae during May and June were implemented to allow for trial digs and work concerning the re-routing of utilities.

[67][68] Aberdeen Roads Limited published its first project update newsletter in the spring of 2015, detailing current and future works plus traffic management measures.

[80] With the final section still unopened in the New Year at the end of January 2019, Scottish transport secretary Michael Matheson demanded an urgent meeting with Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try bosses over the continuing delays.

[12] In May 2018, Aberdeenshire Council said it would seek compensation from the Balfour Beatty/Galliford Try joint venture for "significant damage" caused to some local roads by the transport of thousands of tonnes of materials to the AWPR site.

Heading north as the Stonehaven bypass, the A90 gradually sweeps around the town towards the east before traffic bound for the AWPR can cross a large flyover, from here there is a turn off to the left via a slip road.

Southbound traffic can also come off the dual carriageway to a crossroads and then turn right onto a short stretch of the A90 which passes under the flyover, both of these lead to the Stonehaven roundabout.

The bypass proceeds sharply northbound; with the exception of some isolated dwellings and occasional local overpasses, the road continues without pause through fields.

It is the only junction in Scotland where three special road segments converge at one at-grade point, the roundabout itself is slightly smaller than at Stonehaven and instead of three lanes; has two.

The junction has become a spotlight of criticism due to reoccurring accidents which have included collisions between cars and HGVs[86][87][88][89] in addition to vehicles overshooting the roundabout.

[90] The design of the roundabout requires motorists to gradually slow down well in advance of reaching it, collisions at this part of the bypass have been attributed by Transport Scotland to speeding and ignoring road signs.

Heading eastbound from Cleanhill takes motorists along the A956 Spur, a special road extension of the primary route which originally started as a trumpet junction on the old A90 that proceeded into Aberdeen.

Slip roads in both directions connect the AWPR to a roundabout and a short spur of the A93 on its western side, access to Aberdeenshire and the Cairngorms is gained here at a signalised crossroads.

Tailbacks and collisions at this junction resulted in the addition of traffic lights to the roundabout which was carried out in the summer of 2020, later than expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The citybound A96 takes motorists back into Aberdeen where it meets the A92 at the Haudagain roundabout and terminates at Mounthooly in the city centre.

Both sides consist of long slip roads connecting to roundabouts which can then be used to head back south to Dyce and Bridge of Don or north to Newmachar.

The bypass and its restrictions end on arriving at Blackdog, from here motorists can continue north along the realigned A90 to Balmedie and Ellon or head south onto the detrunked A92 that will return to the city.