Several motorists were pulled over for allegedly speeding on the A90 Aberdeen to Fraserburgh road – just hours after the new dualled section opened for the first time.
Another man, 31, was also charged by officers after allegedly clocking up 96mph on the Parkhill-Dyce section of the new AWPR.
Nine drivers were pulled over on the A90. The majority were issued with a fixed penalty of three points and a £100 fine.
Those alleged to be driving at higher speeds were reported to the procurator fiscal.
Police officers were present as decades of wait yesterday ended for hundreds of drivers travelling to and from the north of Aberdeen as the last traffic restrictions were lifted on the A90 Aberdeen to Fraseburgh road, between Balmedie and Tipperty.
There have been reduced speed limits and disruption on the road for almost two years, with average speed cameras in place during some of the works.
Now drivers will have five miles of new carriageway, three new junctions and a road which is back to national speed limit after being limited to 30mph on some sections.
It comes months after a section of the new road was opened between Parkhill and Blackdog, giving road users a dual carriageway from Parkhill all the way to south Ellon roundabout for the first time.
The dualled road has already been hailed as a development that will reduce journey times for commuters, haulage firms and other businesses.
On the eve of the restrictions being lifted, Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Every day tens of thousands of drivers will now reap the benefits of this section of new road, which was originally a separate project to the AWPR, through enhanced safety, reduced congestion, improved journey time reliability and safer access to local areas and the wider public network.”
While the route has widespread support, there have been calls for transport chiefs to resolve a long-standing issue with signage. Farmer James Duthie runs a bed and breakfast at Aitkenshill and claims he has lost all passing trade as there are no signs pointing motorists to his establishment, which is on the old A90 – now known as the A92.
He said: “I’d say one in 10 of our clientele every week was passing trade but that’s completely gone now.
“We’ve been told that there are going to be signs put in place, but the whole thing is a joke.
“It looks like Transport Scotland are just going to walk away from this now that the road’s open.”
Earlier this year the owners of the Cock and Bull restaurant claimed they were losing out on as much as £500 a day because of the problem.
Gordon MP Colin Clark expressed disappointment that problems surrounding signage “have still not been resolved”.
And he called on Transport Scotland to ensure Aberdeenshire Council does not have to pay for repairs on local routes which have been damaged by construction traffic.
Mr Clark said: “Our councils will have a battle on their hands to secure compensation for the damage caused by repeated HGV use.
“Local authorities can ill afford the cost of repairs. Transport Scotland should be footing the bill.”
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Issues related to the temporary signage for local businesses on this stretch during construction are resolved by the full opening of the road. All signs, including brown tourist signs, must comply with the relevant guidance. Businesses or attractions will need to obtain the relevant approvals from VisitScotland and the roads authority.”
He said payment for repairs was “a private matter” between the council and the contractor and Aberdeen Roads Limited obtained “all relevant permissions”.
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