Months of campaigning paid off for a Dundee community yesterday with celebrations marking the beginning of work on a new pedestrian crossing.
Maryfield residents welcomed construction crews as work to install a designated crossing on Pitkerro Road began.
Situated just outside Morgan Academy, the building process follows months of lobbying by local residents, with Dundee City Council agreeing to their wishes in June.
An online petition in support of the crossing gathered 281 signatures as well as the backing of local community groups and organisations.
Lisa Campbell, a resident of Baxter Park Terrace, spoke of her delight that the long campaign had finally paid off. She told The Courier: “I knew that work was starting this week.
“I believe that the work is being done during the holiday period as they know how important this is for the community.
“Reaction to the construction crews has been very positive. Pretty much everyone I talk to cannot believe that it’s taken so long.
“There’s a belief that it should have been in place years ago.”
The Campbell family have experienced the dangers of Pitkerro Road first-hand after their son Alex (10) was struck by a car in December 2009.
Hit by the wing mirror of the passing vehicle, Alex was thrown to the ground and was lucky to escape without suffering any major injury.
Since then Lisa and her husband, Cory, have been at the forefront of the campaign to have a crossing placed on the route, having received backing from the community group, Friends of Baxter Park, and nearby Morgan Academy.
“It will make a huge difference to people here,” Lisa continued.
“For children going to school, people in wheelchairs and the elderly it will make getting across that busy road so much easier.
“It also means that more people will be able to get to Baxter Park and it is such a wonderful park.”
Pitkerro Road is often used as a rat run by drivers between the Kingsway and the city centre. It is thought that work to install the crossing will take around a fortnight with it being in place for the return of pupils to Morgan Academy.
As the road crew moved into the area, a rather shy Alex Campbell said: “My friends live across the road, so it’s going to be much safer now”.