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Call for Laurencekirk junction answers following fatal crash

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Transport Scotland chiefs have been asked to explain why they feel a flyover is not necessary on a dangerous 20-mile stretch of the A90.

The demand came from Angus and Mearns politician Nigel Don, who drove past a fatal accident near Fordoun just 30 minutes after it happened on Friday.

Police named the crash victims as Stewart Rhind (61) and Julian Dawson (42), who both lived in the Aberdeen area and were scientists at the James Hutton Institute.

The two-car collision occurred at the turn- off for Auchenblae, just three miles north of the notorious Laurencekirk junction that has been the subject of an ongoing campaign for funding for more than a decade.

Mr Don revealed that Transport Scotland bosses have been invited to Holyrood to discuss upgrades to the road after he personally referred a public petition to the infrastructure and capital investment committee.

He said the latest tragedy was a reminder of the dangers of the A90 between Brechin and Stonehaven, which he described as “20 miles of fast dual carriageway without a flyover or underpass”.

“The focus of attention has been the Laurencekirk south junction because it is clearly the busiest but when you compare this stretch of road with the section between Dundee and Perth, which has four grade-separated junctions in 20 miles, it is obvious that there is some catching up to do,” he said.

Mr Don said: “It is a trunk road and the funding of a flyover is unambiguously the responsibility of Transport Scotland and not of Aberdeenshire Council.

“The council are very supportive of our campaign for a flyover, as are Nestrans, the local transport partnership.”

Mearns florist Jill Fotheringham, who has led the public petition, said the A90 is littered with potentially deadly junctions.

“From Dundee northwards, the A90 is no longer fit for the amount of traffic that travels on it, particularly at places like Laurencekirk and Montrose and the little junctions up from there,”she said.

“The junction at Auchenblae is frightening and there is not enough room for a car to stop in the central reservation.

“This is a farming area and we are talking about tractors and other heavy machinery regularly having to cross over there.”

Montrose councillor David May has also heavily backed the safety campaign.

He said: “There is no doubt this stretch of road is unsafe and the transport minister should look again at the need for action. My thoughts and condolences are with the families and friends of the two people who have died and also those who have been injured.