An Inverness businessman’s offer to end the stalemate over a vital road safety scheme in the Highlands has been rejected by transport chiefs.
And the £2.5million plan to revamp a notorious stretch of the A9 remains on course to go to an expensive public inquiry – which could delay it by 18 months.
Campaigners have made repeated calls for an upgrade of the Berriedale Braes section of the Inverness-Thurso route.
Construction work has been held up because of an objection by Tom Johnston, who owns a property in the area.
The house takes access to the A9 by a private road – which Transport Scotland says will need to be closed on safety grounds.
Mr Johnston has described this as an “unacceptable inconvenience” but said he was open to speaking to the agency to try to reach an “amicable resolution”.
Last night, a spokeswoman for Transport Scotland insisted the access to Mr Johnston’s property was not safe, adding that the public inquiry would only be called off if his objection was withdrawn.
If his road was closed Mr Johnston would only be left with pedestrian access to the house over a footbridge, which he said was a safety issue in itself.
The boss of Atom J Ltd said: “I am not objecting to the improvement scheme in principle, only the proposal to remove road access to my property, which would be an unacceptable inconvenience, as well as a health and safety issue as the only other access to my property is via a footbridge which cannot be relied upon during bad weather and is unsuitable for emergency access.”
He added: “Of course I would like to avoid the need for an inquiry to take place and I want to reach an amicable resolution with Transport Scotland on this issue.
“Any delay to this project could easily be avoided through Transport Scotland agreeing to maintain the retention of access to my road throughout the improvement works.
“I will happily withdraw my objection immediately if this can be arranged with Transport Scotland.”
Members of the far north’s business community, including the Caithness Chamber of Commerce, have regularly called for Berriedale Braes improvements to be made a priority to improve links to Inverness and the central belt.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has also lobbied for action.
She said that Mr Johnston had made a “reasonable objection” and that she hoped a solution could be found.
She said: “Everyone wants to see these improvements start sooner rather than later and resolving this objection is absolutely necessary to avoid a potentially huge delay to this project.
“Asking Mr Johnston to agree to losing vehicle and road access to his property on a permanent basis, which is what the stopping up order would result in, seems like an entirely unreasonable request from Transport Scotland.”
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said the agency had to follow its “statutory obligation” because of the outstanding objection.
She added: “We are clear that vehicular access to the property using the existing access is not safe given its proximity to the bend proposed as part of the Berriedale Braes improvement scheme.
“Consequently it has been necessary for Transport Scotland to approach the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals in order to arrange a public local inquiry. We understand that an inquiry will proceed unless this objection is withdrawn.”
The trunk road at the blackspot drops 429ft as it enters a steep valley at Berriedale, between Helmsdale and Dunbeath.
Motorists also have to contend with a tight hairpin bend and gradients of up to 13%.