The opening of the first major section of the Aberdeen bypass this week has had a massive impact on journey times for those travelling around the city, according to road users.
Satellite technology has also shown a significant reduction in congestion at traditional Aberdeen bottlenecks.
Motorists were finally allowed to use the 20-mile stretch of the £1 billion Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) from Stonehaven to Craibstone on Wednesday morning, after months of delays.
Drivers used to lengthy journeys through commuter roads in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have since taken to social media to reveal how their trips to and from work have been cut down.
AWPR: Transport minister visits chunk of Aberdeen bypass ahead of its opening today
Some drivers reported being able to travel from Milltimber to Dyce – a trip that previously would have typically required going through lengthy queues at Kingswells – in just ten minutes.
And others celebrated taking just 15 minutes to travel from Westhill to Stonehaven, a journey that before the bypass would have usually required going through Kingswells, and then either using the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road, or the B979 Netherley Road.
But the opening of the new bypass has also already made a difference at a number of notorious bottlenecks in the city.
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With vehicles that would usually travel through Aberdeen, such as lorries, instead using the AWPR, traffic has reduced in many areas.
The traffic monitoring system used by Google Maps has shown a major improvement in traffic flow at the Bridge of Dee between a typical day at 5.30pm before the bypass was open, and on Wednesday night.
Areas which were previously dark red, indicating heavy traffic, have instead turned green overnight, reflecting a large drop in rush-hour traffic.
Similar results were seen at Kingswells, where drivers travelling north and south of the city would previously have been faced with lengthy queues.
Instead, drivers enjoyed relatively speedy waiting times to get across the junction.
Other road users reported the usually congested Haudagain roundabout to be like a “ghost town” during peak travel times.
Much shorter queue times were also hailed at the Craibstone junction.
Further benefits are expected once the final stretch of AWPR, held up by repairs to the Don Crossing, is opened to motorists.
Transport Scotland believes that should take place by the end of December.
