Rebuff for junction suggestion
TRANSPORT Scotland seem to have rebuffed the suggestion by MSP Alex Johnstone that a grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk be included in the contract and funding arrangements for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
As revealed in this newspaper on February 5, Mr Johnstone made the suggestion in a letter to Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson.
He said this course of action would break the funding deadlock over the dangerous A90/A937 junction as it would mean the work could be carried out more quickly and at a lower cost than if it were tackled as a stand-alone project.
Mr Johnstone said this was the only way to deliver a vital safety improvement in the forseeable future.
He said this course of action would save lives and improve road access for an expanding community.
"Everyone, from the transport minister down, knows that this junction needs to be replaced, but no one so far has made any proposal as to how it can be realised.
"This is a serious proposal and could be the best option to deliver this vital safety improvement quickly and at an affordable price."
The transport minister passed Mr Johnstone's letter to Transport Scotland for a reply.
David Middleton of the government agency preferred however to trot out the details of safety measures at the three Laurencekirk junctions which have already been recommeded by BEAR Scotland as part of their safety review.
He wrote: "The relevant schemes and Trunk Road Orders for the AWPR have already been made and laid before Parliament for final approval.
"As the statutory procedures have still not been completed, it is too early to say whether or not any new elements could be included in the procurement process for the AWPR which is expected to start in 2010/11."
The official went on to say that the safety review by BEAR Scotland Ltd identified a series of measures to improve safety, including vehicle activated signs; cross with care signs; surface treatment measures; relocation of a direction sign; upgrading of pedestrian warning signs; refreshing of road markings and cutting back of shrubbery.
"The recommendations of the safety review have been accepted and the installation of these measures will be carried out as soon as is practicable.
"In addition, the design for a northbound merge taper at the north junction is currently being progressed."
Mr Johnstone reacted by saying: "The further safety measures outlined in this reply could easily be seen as 'throwing good money after bad' when the total cost involved, added to the cost of dealing with the accidents which will still follow, could quickly exceed the cost of the junction upgrade we all want.
"It is clear that my proposal to include the design and construction of a new junction within the contracts for the AWPR is a workable solution and that it could get the work done at a fraction of the estimated cost of a 'stand alone' project.
"What we need now is for Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson to seize the initiative. He must put a stop to this endless and
expensive 'tinkering' with the junction and push through the clearly workable solution which I have proposed.
"The time has come for the Minister to act decisively and overrule his civil servants. Action now will save having to address these problems again and again in years to come, saving a fortune in the long run and delivering the upgrade we all want at the earliest possible date."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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