Stephen Walsh
Transport bosses will invest thousands of pounds to help improve one of the north-east’s major roads.
Regional transport partnership Nestrans has allocated £80,000 to fund research into a number of proposals to upgrade the A90 Aberdeen to Fraserburgh road, including a dual carriageway, overtaking lanes and a fly-over.
The proposed improvements would be carried out on the Ellon-Fraserburgh stretch of the road.
The proposals are contained within a report which will be discussed by the transport board later this week.
It comes after doubts were raised over the viability of creating a rail service between Ellon and Aberdeen.
Nestrans has estimated hundreds of thousands of passengers would use the train services, which would generate up to £4.4million for the area.
However, ScotRail has raised doubts over the accuracy of these projections and also claimed the costs of creating the services have been “underestimated”.
The report stated: “Questions were raised by ScotRail on whether the projected patronage and potential revenue estimates are realistic. At the higher end of these estimates, these projected demand levels are dependent on customers from Peterhead and Fraserburgh railheading at Ellon, but more work would be required to support such an assumption.”
The report confirms that traffic bosses will now look into the potential for dualling the road between Ellon and Toll of Birness.
In addition, there are proposals to improve the notorious Cortes junction.
There is also a wide-ranging improvement programmed outlined, including further junction improvemens, climbing lanes and overtaking lanes.
The report will be discussed by board members on Friday.
