Concerns were raised about new traffic lights at the Swallow Roundabout near Invergowrie more than a decade before their introduction.
The worries of councillors, as well as local residents, date back to 2014.
New traffic lights were switched on at the Dundee roundabout serving the Kingsway, the A90 and Springfield’s Western Gateway housing development on March 5.
The signals form part of a major Springfield-led upgrade project.
It is a response to increased traffic from the firm’s 700-home Dykes of Gray development.
Drivers travelling from Perth to Dundee have faced delays at the junction every morning since the lights were switched on, with the ‘no right turn’ signs causing chaos.
Carse of Gowrie Councillor Angus Forbes says his constituents are concerned areas like Kingoodie and Invergowrie are being used to avoid the queues.
How did we get here?
The Courier’s Finn Nixon takes a look.
When were Swallow Roundabout traffic lights first suggested?
Concerns about traffic delays at the roundabout escalating were raised at Springfield public consultation events in July 2014.
The developer had lodged a planning application for the first section of the housing development four months earlier.
In December 2014, The Evening Telegraph reported further concerns as Springfield’s plans were recommended for approval.
There were worries the “already-congested” Swallow Roundabout would need “signalisation” to deal with the expected increase in traffic.
Dundee taxi driver Willie Lees told the newspaper the queues would be significant, adding: “I can’t see how it will work.”
Transport Scotland said a “signalised roundabout” would be a “condition of any planning consent”.
It insisted this would improve road safety and traffic flows.
Mike Galloway, Dundee City Council’s director of city development, added: “This scheme will involve the signalisation of the roundabout, which will provide additional capacity to accommodate the extra vehicles associated with the residential developments.”
Invergowrie ‘rat run’ concerns
Plans for major upgrades to the roundabout were lodged with Dundee City Council (DCC) in February 2015.
But traffic lights were not included in these initial plans.
Instead, proposals focused on the introduction of more filter lanes.
Three months later, Invergowrie residents claimed drivers already used its Main Street as a “rat run” to avoid the Swallow Roundabout.
Would the new plans make the village shortcut even more appealing?
These concerns resurfaced in June 2018 when Dundee City Council approved the new traffic lights and the major development of the roundabout.
Persephone Beer, a planning officer for Perth and Kinross Council, the local authority for Invergowrie and the Carse of Gowrie villages, expressed her worries in a letter to DCC chiefs.
Ms Beer said: “Residents of Invergowrie frequently raise concerns about the volume of traffic that uses the Main Street to avoid the Swallow Roundabout in the evening peak.
“There is concern that the proposed scheme has the potential to cause an increase in vehicles using this route as rat-run.
“The application does not include any traffic flow modelling that could give reassurance in this regard.
“It is noted that drivers choose their routes based on what ‘appears faster’ and therefore might prefer to cut through Invergowrie rather than risk a relatively short delay at a traffic signal.”
Carse councillors echoed these concerns at the time.
Alasdair Bailey said: “People have told me they’re nervous that changes could increase rat-running through the town at busy times.
“There is a strong chance that the situation could be made worse.”
2015 report raises fears
In April 2015, Stewart Paton Associates published a road safety audit of the plans for the Swallow Roundabout on behalf of Transport Scotland.
The audit team noted the following potential issues relating to the introduction of traffic lights in the report:
- The “Stopping Sight Distance” to the roundabout’s give way markings appeared to be “substandard” on the Liff Road eastbound and A90 northbound approaches given the respective 40mph and 70mph speed limits.
- Fast entry and exit speeds could be an issue if there was a traffic light malfunction or when traffic is able to continue at speed during a “green wave” of traffic lights.
- There was a risk that drivers would be confused by other traffic lights that are directed at alternative approaches to the roundabout.
- “Sign clutter” would have to be avoided when new signs warning of the traffic lights were introduced and these would have to be clearly visible for motorists.
Traffic Scotland declined to comment when asked about its previous involvement in plans for the lights.
It said its operating company Amey, which looks after this stretch of the A90, was responsible for considering and monitoring the roundabout’s congestion levels.
Amey told The Courier the site was still the responsibility of Springfield.
Springfield has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
It previously told The Courier the process of activating the lights had proved “complicated”.
After years of delays and repeated concerns about traffic safety, upgrade works on the Swallow Roundabout started on July 1 last year.
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