Complaints about road closures sparks complaints from frustrated commuters
Move to close ‘rat runs’ during roadworks elsewhere
Published:
Minor roads in Aberdeenshire could be closed to prevent drivers using them as “rat runs” while roadworks are going on.
The proposal is one in a series of changes put forward by roads bosses at Aberdeenshire Council to address an increased number of complaints from commuters.
There are currently 27 routes temporarily closed for repairs, with around 300 closed each year — a figure “unlikely to reduce”, according to senior officers. Twenty-one complaints specifically relating to the closures have been received since 2006.
In a report to go before the Formartine area committee on Tuesday of next week, head of roads Ken Morrison said the majority of roadworks are completed “without incident or complaint”.
He admits problems have arisen in busy areas or where diversions have been “long and substandard”.
He said: “The disruption to traffic and the risk of a road accident has been significantly increased and is the cause of increased levels of complaint across the whole council area.”
One of the major concerns relates to the damage being caused to minor roads as a result of roadworks elsewhere.
Mr Morrison added: “There is increased concern about damage to minor roads used as rat runs when closures are in place. Signed diversion routes can often be lengthy and road users with a local knowledge will tend to use minor roads if it will save time.”
He said communities would be consulted before closures were approved.
