Work to install traffic lights at an accident-prone roundabout on the Aberdeen bypass will start within weeks.
The new signal system for the Kingswells South junction was unanimously given the green light by city councillors yesterday.
Significant safety concerns have already been raised about the roundabout, where the new A90 Blackdog-Stonehaven road meets the A944 Aberdeen to Westhill stretch, since it opened last February.
In the past year, there has been an average of three or four crashes a month at the roundabout, resulting in four people being seriously hurt.
There were also concerns that traffic was queuing up the length of the slip-road and onto the dual carriageway.
Transport Scotland will cover the £360,000 installation of the traffic lights and the city council will pay for any ongoing maintenance.
The local authority’s transport spokeswoman, Sandra Macdonald, said: “I welcome the installation of traffic lights at the A944 roundabout to improve safety for motorists and cyclists at the junction.
“Council officers have been working with Transport Scotland and Police Scotland to identify measures and it’s good that work is now to start at this roundabout.”
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said the lights were expected to offer motorists better chances to exit the bypass safely and to reduce speeding.
Scottish Conservative north-east MSP Liam Kerr has been campaigning for safety improvements in the area since last year.
Last night he warned: “We must now monitor the AWPR to check if the traffic lights are actually making a difference once they are installed.
“If safety still remains an issue, then it’s vital that further action is taken to minimise the chance of crashes in the area.”
