A councillor who has campaigned for the dualling of the A90 to include the notorious Toll of Birness has urged cross-party cooperation on the issue.
Councillor Gillian Owen, who represents the Ellon and District ward, has spearheaded the Why Stop At Ellon? Campaign which demands changes at the road which has seen a number of fatal collisions over the years.
Calls are regularly made for an overhaul of the route and campaigners are attempting to convince the Scottish Government to dual the road from Aberdeen.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has now written to transport minister Humza Yousaf to arrange a special meeting to discuss potential improvements.
Conservative councillor Mrs Owen questioned why Mr Stevenson, of the SNP, had not done more to back the campaign when he was transport minister between 2007 and 2010.
She said: “I find it surprising he’s saying this now because he was minister for transport. It’s great that he’s come out in support of it now, but where was he when he was the minister in Holyrood?
“I don’t want to be too negative because the more support we have, the better.
“The majority of the accidents happen in and around the Toll of Birness junction, so it needs to be dualled all the way.”
The junction itself is mainly used by commuters travelling from Fraserburgh and Mintlaw to Ellon, Aberdeen and beyond.
And transport body Nestrans has been investigating for the last year whether or not it can push through upgrades, including improved rail links across Aberdeenshire.
Earlier this year, retired teacher Dorothy Cruickshank died when the car in which she had been travelling collided with another vehicle.
The 66-year-old was one of six people taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary following the crash, but she did not survive.
Mrs Cruickshank had been a teacher at Meethill Primary School in Peterhead and at St Fergus Primary before her retirement.
A month after the crash, Mr Yousaf rejected calls for street lights to be installed at the junction, saying there was “no evidence” to suggest lighting would reduce the risk of accidents.
