Breakdown Recovery on the AWPR
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) is the bypass that carries fast-moving traffic around the west of the city, linking the A90 to the north and south with the A96. If you've broken down on this newer, faster road, we can recover you.
Built for speed, not for stopping
The AWPR was built to take through-traffic off the roads inside Aberdeen, connecting the north and south sections of the A90 with the A96 in a sweep around the west of the city, past Westhill, Kingswells, Craibstone and Dyce. It's a genuinely different driving environment to the older roads it relieves: consistently high speeds, grade-separated junctions rather than roundabouts, and long gaps between exits. That makes it efficient for getting around Aberdeen, but it also means fewer natural stopping points if something goes wrong with your vehicle.
Spotting trouble early matters more here
Because laybys and hard-shoulder-style refuges are limited on the AWPR compared with slower roads, the moment you notice a warning sign — a dashboard light, an unusual noise, a loss of power, or the car pulling to one side — start planning your next move immediately. If the vehicle is still driveable and it's safe to do so, ease off and aim for the next junction, slip road or service point rather than pressing on and hoping the problem resolves itself. Don't wait until you're forced to stop in a live lane to start looking for somewhere safe.
If you do have to stop on the main carriageway
Sometimes there's no choice. If your vehicle stops moving on the open sections of the AWPR, get as far left as possible, ideally onto any verge or hard strip available, and put your hazard lights on immediately so following traffic has warning at speed. Once stopped, if you can get out and away from the vehicle safely — behind a barrier or well down the verge, clear of the carriageway — that's safer than remaining inside a car that's still close to fast-moving traffic. Never attempt a roadside repair or try to push the vehicle yourself in a live lane; wait for us or for a recovery vehicle designed to work safely at the roadside.
Finding you quickly on a bypass
Because the AWPR loops around several different areas — Westhill and Kingswells to the south-west, Craibstone and Dyce to the north — a road name alone doesn't tell us much about where you are. When you call, give us the nearest junction number if you can see a sign, or a recognisable landmark such as Westhill, Kingswells, Craibstone or the Dyce/A96 junction, along with the direction you were travelling. That's the fastest way to get a recovery vehicle to the right spot.
On a fast, open bypass like the AWPR: get off the running lanes and onto a verge, slip road or junction where possible, keep hazard lights on at all times, get well clear of the vehicle and behind any barrier if it's still close to traffic, and never attempt a repair in a live lane. Give us your nearest junction or landmark and direction of travel when you call.
Not a breakdown — a collision?
If your vehicle has been damaged in a collision on the AWPR rather than broken down mechanically, our accident recovery service is set up to handle that. Let us know it was a collision when you call.
AWPR Breakdown FAQs
What exactly is the AWPR and is it the same road as the A90 or A96?
The AWPR, also known as the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, is the bypass built around the west of Aberdeen to take through-traffic away from the city centre. Sections of it are signed as part of the A90 and A96, since it links the north and south A90 with the A96 towards Inverurie. If you're not sure which stretch you're on, the nearest junction number or a landmark such as Craibstone, Kingswells or Charleston is more useful to us than the road name.
Are there fewer places to pull over on the AWPR than on other roads into Aberdeen?
Yes, broadly. As a newer bypass built for free-flowing traffic, the AWPR has long open sections between junctions with limited laybys, so a suitable stopping point can be further away than on some older roads. If your vehicle is showing signs of trouble, try to reach the next slip road or junction while it's still safe to keep driving, rather than waiting until you're forced to stop on the main carriageway.
Do you cover the AWPR near Westhill and Kingswells as well as further round towards Balmedie?
Yes, we cover the AWPR along its route around the west of Aberdeen, including the Westhill and Kingswells sections and the Dyce and Craibstone stretch towards the A96. Give us your nearest junction and direction of travel when you call.
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Broken Down on the AWPR Right Now?
Call us and we'll get a recovery vehicle on its way to you.