A campaigner in the fight for a flyover at an accident blackspot in the Mearns has accused the Scottish Government of dismissing the lives that have been lost there.
Jill Campbell said she was “disgusted” by a further delay after it was revealed a “cost refinement exercise” into the project could take eight months to complete.
Residents have campaigned for years to have the A90 junction at the south of Laurencekirk upgraded to a flyover but the Scottish Government has said it is not a priority despite the fact there were four fatal collisions, 15 serious and 22 slight-injury accidents on the road there between 1999 and 2010.
An 8000-signature petition has been collected, asking for the junction to be upgraded. Transport minister Keith Brown gave fresh hope for campaigners demanding improved road safety and asked for more detailed work to be done to calculate the cost of the required improvements.
Previous estimates have varied from £4 million to £23 million, making it difficult for campaigners to argue their case. Members of the Public Petitions Committee are now seeking answers after being told Transport Scotland is planning to spend eight months carrying out this exercise.
Ms Campbell began lobbying for a flyover in 2004 when a young sailor died in a crash at the junction. “We’ve fought for so long and now we are having to wait again,” she said. “I’m just disgusted with the whole thing.
“They have dismissed the lives that have been lost there already as if they don’t matter. I know that they are basically saying they are not going to do it.
“We’ve gone up and down to these committee meetings and with each delay there comes the risk of another fatality happening at Laurencekirk. How many more lives do we have to lose?
“It could happen any day. There have been countless accidents and any one of those could have ended in a fatality. The more accidents there are, the more chance there is of a fatality but nothing is happening.”
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MSP Mike Rumbles said he was “outraged” the exercise is taking so long, adding, “There is a strong suspicion that this is being kicked into the long grass by the SNP until after the Scottish Parliament elections in May.
“We thought the transport minister asking for a cost refinement exercise was progress and now we find Transport Scotland will get round to it in eight months’ time. The committee members were as angry as I was that Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government seem to be treating this as nothing more than kicking it into the very long grass and giving it the very lowest priority.
“As far as I’m concerned it’s really adding insult to injury. You could have done this within two weeks after all, it’s only a cost estimate. It just shows a lack of willingness to do anything about this and my real concern is we are going to lose another life at the Laurencekirk junction if the government doesn’t get its finger out.
“It doesn’t appear this government is going to do anything about Laurencekirk and we’re going to have to wait for a new transport minister after May 5. I am really quite disgusted, quite frankly, and I know the campaigners are.”