Plans to reopen a busy Aberdeen junction have suffered a blow after council officers ruled there was “no justification” for the change.
Residents living in Powis estate have faced a longer route to get to their homes since a controversial bus gate was installed to stop motorists using Bedford Road.
It has been a source of frustration to motorists in the city since it was opened in July 2016 to prevent drivers using it as a through road to the new Diamond bridge.
In November councillors approved a plan to allow taxis through and investigate the feasibility of creating a left turn exit from Bedford Avenue onto St Machar Drive with access only allowed for cars registered at Powis Crescent, Powis Circle and Bedford Avenue.
The junction was closed off in the 1980s due to safety concerns for pupils crossing the road as they headed to school.
However, a new report, to be debated next week, states that there was not “sufficient justification” to reopen the Bedford Avenue junction as the area is already tarred over adding that the different technology available to help control vehicle access would be expensive.
The report to the operational delivery committee reads: “With 397 properties within the proposed area, lockable bollards would be unworkable; particularly managing copies of keys or replacing lost or damaged keys.
“Similarly, a fob or key card system would require considerable levels of management and there would be an ongoing cost to manage this. The provision of automatic rising bollards linked to an Automatic Number Plate Recognition ANPR camera would be the most straightforward system requiring a permit based “whitelist” to be reviewed annually.”
The cost of such a scheme could be between £30,000 and £50,000, the report warns.
Council transport spokesman Ross Grant, the councillor who put forward the motion to investigate, said: “The feasibility study shows conclusively that despite my well intended motives to open up this route the traffic surveys carried out shows there is no justification for implementing the measures proposed at this time.
“As the Berryden Corridor is developed I will ask officers to look again at these proposals to see if significant traffic management changes allow the council to open up this route as proposed.”
But SNP councillor Alex McLellan said: “The SNP position remains the same, in that the council should explore the possibility of allowing local residents through the bus gate. I am disappointed that we still don’t have officers opinions on our suggestion as councillor Grant refused to have it looked into.”
