Dunkeld residents are being forced to play a dangerous waiting game on the A9, a local campaigner has claimed.
Councillor Claire McLaren says motorists are routinely stuck for more than half an hour as they try cross the busy single-carriageway stretch of the Perth-Inverness road at Dunkeld.
She was speaking as new plans to dual the A9 from Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing, north of Perth, go on display.
Ms McLaren says dualling for the Dunkeld section is a decade away, at best.
And she says a more urgent temporary solution is needed for the two junctions which lead to the town on the northward side and the A822 to Crieff to the south.
Fifteen months have now elapsed since Perth and Kinross Council agreed a motion calling for a meeting between the three local councillors and the transport minister to discuss what could be done at the site.
SNP council leader Grant Laing agreed to write a letter asking for the talks.
But the transport minister at the time, Kevin Stewart, resigned due to ill health soon after, in June 2023.
He was replaced by Fiona Hyslop.
And to date, no such meeting has taken place.
A9 drivers facing long delays at Dunkeld
Ms McLaren said: “The residents are being grossly let down.
“They are continually engaging with Transport Scotland and their MSP. But, as yet, no real progress has been made and the issue continues to grow, along with residents’ anxiety.”
The Lid Dem councillor added: “Residents report to me that a wait of half an hour or longer is not unusual at busier periods.
“Those choosing to access the village have to meticulously plan their visit, hoping for a lighter traffic flow.”
Transport Scotland insists it is looking at improvements to this section of road.
A spokesperson said: “We recognise local concerns and value community engagement on the A9 project.
“As a result we have commissioned our operating company BEAR Scotland to carry out a high level assessment to investigate potential improvements for traffic joining the A9 from the A923 and A822.
“We are currently in the process of reviewing the recommendations.”
Progress being made, insists Swinney
The spokesperson said improvements had already been carried out.
These include solar-powered illuminated road studs around the junction, to make the layout easier to navigate at night.
Traffic signs have also been upgraded at the Dunkeld and Inver junctions.
Perthshire North MSP John Swinney said the Scottish Government had engaged substantively with residents of Dunkeld on A9 dualling and safety concerns over a number of years.
“This has included multiple meetings between successive transport ministers and the local community,” he said.
“I am pleased that proposals for improvements at this particular junction are currently being reviewed, and that steps are being taken to continue to enhance road safety on the A9.
“I will continue to engage closely on this issue and ensure that my constituents remain a key part of this process going forward.”
Fiona Hyslop announced earlier this month that the section of A9 between the Tay Crossing and Ballinluig will be the next to be dualled.
It comes after the Scottish Government was forced to admit it would fail to meet its original promise to dual the road by 2025.
The designs for the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing stretch will be on display at Birnam Arts from 10am-6pm on Thursday August 22.
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