SNP transport chief Fiona Hyslop is facing calls to improve a notorious north-east junction causing “trauma to local families on a regular basis”.
Campaigners have long called for the A90 north of Ellon to be dualled and improvements carried out to the Toll of Birness junction.
The Scottish Government threw out plans to dual the road earlier this year, despite a pledge from former First Minister Alex Salmond in 2007.
But ministers are coming under renewed pressure to invest in improvements at Toll of Birness as part of wider calls to dual the route.
Banff and Buchan Tory MP David Duguid raised concerns with Ms Hyslop again following a crash at the collision blackspot last week, which saw a 64-year-old man taken to hospital.
He told the SNP minister the junction is “not fit for purpose and is causing trauma to local families on a regular basis”.
On Monday, Mr Duguid joined a meeting with regional transport partnership Nestrans to discuss their latest study on the A90 and A952 corridors from Ellon to Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
They are inviting feedback from local communities and businesses, as well as those who travel in the area.
‘Simply not good enough’
In a letter, Mr Duguid claimed: “I note the SNP didn’t include the dualling of the A90 between Ellon and Peterhead at its party conference – 16 years since Alex Salmond pledged to dual the road in his first 100 days in office.
“It’s simply not good enough to throw this promise into the long grass now that Mr Salmond is no longer irst Minister. It’s also a betrayal to the people of the north-east to think that installing electronic signs at the Toll of Birness junction is a sufficient solution to solving major safety issues.
“I urge you to give some clarity on if you will back these dualling and roundabout plans from Nestrans, how much you will invest and when we can expect work on upgrading the Toll of Birness.
“This junction, in its current condition, is not fit for purpose and is causing trauma to local families on a regular basis.
“I urge you to take action for the sake of these families whose loved ones have been tragically killed or injured between Ellon, Peterhead and Fraserburgh in recent years.”
Last December, Ms Gilruth, said the plan to dual the road was considered but rejected in favour of measures to “deal with the challenge of climate change” on the road.
Ms Hyslop is already facing a number of transport infrastructure challenges, including progressing delayed plans to dual the A9 between Inverness and Perth.
MSPs were told on Wednesday that a long-awaited update on the plans will be delivered in the “coming days”. The P&J had already revealed this was expected by Christmas.
And the future of the A96 dualling scheme between Aberdeen and Inverness is also uncertain, pending a delayed climate review.
On last week’s accident at the Toll of Birness junction, a Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Road safety is of paramount importance and we are working with Police Scotland and our operating company to understand the circumstances of the incident.
“As police enquiries are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. The minister will respond to the letter in due course.”
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