Crunch talks between angry residents of an Aberdeen suburb and transport bosses will be held tonight.
Transport Scotland chiefs will attend the meeting at Peterculter Parish Church to answer questions on a set of temporary traffic lights installed in place of a mini-roundabout at the junction of Milltimber Brae and North Deeside Road.
Following the installation of the lights there have been major delays in all directions on North Deeside Road and Milltimber Brae. Residents fear they will become permanent following the completion of the massive AWPR project.
A leaflet from the local community council, circulated to 2,500 homes in the area, asks residents if they have experienced problems with the gridlock and warns “the situation could continue if we don’t act”.
Permanent lights are shortly set to replace the temporary ones. The meeting is at Peterculter Parish Church, North Deeside Road, from 7pm to 8.30pm tonight.
Community council secretary Ann Wakefield said: “This has been causing problems for traffic both sides of the village since construction started but was highlighted long before the development began.”
Lavina Massie, vice-chairwoman of Culter Community Council, said: “We have been inundated with people contacting us about the problems they have had in getting to work, school and into town.”
Lower Deeside councillor Marie Boulton said Transport Scotland should consider buying more land to put in a “proper junction with a roundabout”.
She added: “This has been causing massive problems in the community. I think even the current design of the junction itself will be in question.
“I think (Transport Scotland) are in for a tough time at the meeting.”
But ward colleague Philip Bell said he felt the permanent lights could solve the problem.
He said: “When they are switching over to the permanent lights there should be some improvement as they will be able to detect traffic flows.” A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “As well as giving the community an opp-ortunity to ask questions about the works in Milltimber, our representatives will describe how the new Milltimber junction is expected when the AWPR opens to traffic and explain why traffic signals will be required on the A93 North Deeside Road/ B979 Milltimber Brae Junction.”
