Angus Council has been asked to put its weight behind the campaign for a new flyover junction on the A90.
Montrose councillor David May has written to convener of infrastructure services Mairi Evans to ask that the council supports the campaign for a flyover at Laurencekirk.
Mr May believes the council should make a case for the improvement to the dangerous stretch of road through the Mearns as it is used by many Angus residents.
He said: “The changes in Montrose mean there are now significant amounts of work taking place in the harbour and an increase in jobs in this area.
“I was up at Laurencekirk at the weekend and it’s clear to me that there’s a large amount of housebuilding going on up there.
“The demands on the junction are going to significantly increase over the next two to three years and pressures on the junction are going to get significantly worse.”
Ms Evans said she had yet to receive the letter from Mr May but stated that, although she supported the campaign, it was not a priority for the council.
“While the junction doesn’t lie within the Angus area, I absolutely support calls for a flyover at Laurencekirk and support this campaign because, like many other Angus residents, I use the current crossing and know exactly how hazardous it can be,” she said.
“If Aberdeenshire Council want to work with Angus to see how we, as local authorities, can help move this forward I would be more than happy to engage with them to do so.
“Given the sheer scale and number of significant issues we already have in Angus in relation to flooding, the winter weather and the knock-on effect of both of these on our roads, I feel that this is where both my and the council’s priorities need to lie for the present moment.
“If others wish to bring it forward they know they are free to do so.”
She noted that the council endorsement was not one Mr May sought when he was convener of infrastructure services from 2007-12.
Mr May also made a renewed call for Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown to look at the problem for himself, especially during the early-morning traffic.
Transport Scotland has ruled out making improvements to the A90 at Portlethen in Aberdeenshire.
Residents there have also been campaigning for a flyover but Transport Scotland’s chief executive David Middleton ruled out the improvement in a letter to Stonehaven councillor Ian Mollison, stating that the accident rate there was “consistent with the average for all trunk roads”.
Jill Fotheringham, who has campaigned for the Laurencekirk flyover, expressed her concerns that the request for a flyover at Portlethen had been rejected.
“It doesn’t bode well for our campaign,” she said. “If they are saying no to Portlethen then they might not give us any better news.
“I believe that the infrastructure and capital planning committee has asked Transport Scotland for an update and that’s the last we’ve heard.”
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said it was preparing an estimate of how much a flyover at Laurencekirk would cost.
He added: “Transport Scotland continues to work with both Aberdeenshire and Angus Councils to understand the implications of their local development plans on the A90.”
rmclaren@thecourier.co.uk