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An age-old battle: Dualling the A90 to Peterhead

The A90 between Peterhead and Ellon
The A90 between Peterhead and Ellon

The battle to extend the A90 dual carriageway to Peterhead is as old as the hills.

For decades, campaigners have argued about the merits of having a faster route linking the busy Buchan port with the central belt.

So far this week, the Press and Journal has looked at the argument that the move would have a hugely positive impact on industries, particularly around the harbour area.

It could also cut down on the relatively high toll of serious road accidents.

The current campaign – launched by a trio of Aberdeenshire councillors – asks Why Stop at Ellon?

But there is also an argument for not stopping at Peterhead and instead continuing the upgrade all the way along the coast to Fraserburgh, where the A90 comes to an end.

The section between Peterhead and the Broch has an appalling accident record, which could be reduced with the introduction of a straighter, twin-lane route.

In the last fifteen years, there have been 19 fatal crashes on this stretch alone, claiming the lives of 22 people.

The average age of the victims is 39.

The tally is much higher than the Peterhead-Ellon section, which saw nine fatal accidents over the same period.

There is also the argument that Fraserburgh, being the Scottish town most reliant on the fishing industry, would benefit more than Peterhead from better, faster access roads.

Fraserburgh councillor Ian Tait recently battled to have the Energetica corridor stretched around the coast to his home town.

He argued that the Broch would miss out on the potential economic boost the multimillion-pound technology link could bring and end up becoming a “ghost town”.

But project leaders had stressed the town had been earmarked for regeneration instead.

Mr Tait said last night: “Dualling the A90 to Fraserburgh is exactly what should happen.

“The Scottish Government stopped the development corridor from coming past Peterhead and there is no doubt in my mind that this was wrong.”

He said: “Dualling the A90 all the way up to Fraserburgh is the only sensible way forward if the Scottish Government is going to help the town’s economy.

“The council is spending many thousands of pounds to develop Fraserburgh’s economy and regenerate the town.

“But on the other hand, they are stopping this important development (Energetica) at Peterhead.

“We need that same advantage here in Fraserburgh.”

He added: “Dualling the road to Fraserburgh will make it better and safer for personal drivers, and also help commercial and industrial business to transport materials in and finished goods out.

“Not dualling will mean Fraserburgh continues to get a bad deal.”

The state of the road was the subject of a recent court case after a 40-tonne lorry overturned at Cortes Village, near Lonmay, and smashed into a roadside house.

Driver Michael Henderson was found guilty of speeding on a sharp bend moments before the accident, although he tried to argue that his high speed did not cause the crash.

The property’s owner Alex Smith – whose wife Doris was watching TV when the lorry came through their living room wall – said it was the second time their home had been hit.

“A cement mixer rolled into the front of the house about 30 years ago,” he said at the time.

“This has always been a bad corner, you often see drivers come flying round that bend.”

Last year, Bear Scotland, which maintains the trunk road, pledged to install safety measures after a series of accidents in and around Lonmay.