Campaigners renew warning over A9 'danger junction'
A TRANSPORT chief has been told failure to respond to community concerns about a dangerous junction on a stretch of the busiest road through Easter Ross "will inevitably lead to someone being killed".
The stark warning on Tain’s A9 bypass junctions follows a string of accidents and near misses and concerns from local representatives from community council to the area’s MP.
Transport Scotland’s trunk roads director Hugh Gillies has been told by Tain-based MP Jamie Stone, who has "personally witnessed more smashes than I care to remember" that "there is something terribly wrong here".
And the prospect of any changes to the set up at the B9174/A9 Tain junctions taking a year was yesterday dismissed by local community council chairman David Macdonald as unacceptable.
Tain and Easter Ross councillor Derek Louden, who has pointed to the bypass arrangements on the A96 at Forres as a possible model to follow – has been told by Mr Gillies that a junctions’ survey and accident history review have taken place to help highlight near misses and conflicts.
While analysis continues, an initial review "noted a disproportionate number of incidents" with buses and heavy-goods vehicles exiting the minor road to enter the A9 into the path of approaching vehicles and "a small number of poorly judged overtaking manoeuvres through the A9 junction".
The Safety Camera Unit has also undertaken to increase its visibility in the area.
The possibility of improved signage, a reduced speed limit and measures to better regulate overtaking are being considered. Reducing the speed limit would require consultation which could take over a year.
Mr Gillies has also confirmed that a recently highlighted incident has resulted in a motorist being charged with careless driving.
Community council chairman David Macdonald welcomed the surveys "but not if it leads to delays in providing a solution". He said in a letter to Mr Gillies: "It is all very well blaming driver error. That is an all too easy opt-out but the fact remains your department has given Tain two highly dangerous junctions which the community council believes merits your immediate attention. Time... is not a luxury we have. Unfortunately there is an inevitability someone will be killed. Whether that is a so called ‘bad driver’ or an unfortunate innocent family caught up in a collision is neither here nor there.
"Your inaction will cost lives and that will be a heavy burden for us all to bear, especially when the chances have been widely predicted. Temporary measures such as Road Safety Cameras will contribute nothing and serve only to introduce another driver distraction to a road so much busier nowadays as a consequence of the overly popular NC500 route."
The community council has restated its belief a reduction in the traffic speeds between Glenmorangie Distillery and Tain Pottery junctions is needed.
Mr Macdonald added: "We simply cannot accept your excuse the protocol to do this will take a year. That is ridiculous. This is a unique situation which is stressing the community, the emergency services and all trunk road users. Any consultation will only confirm the obvious. We accept lower speed limits will not guarantee elimination of road traffic accidents but should at least give drivers more reaction time and offer the prospect of lower-impact collisions. Ideally, we would prefer the introduction of roundabouts, of which there are no shortage on the likes of the A96. However, more short-term measures are imperative."
MP Jamie Stone said: "The shocking accident figures for the Tain ASDA junction confirm what we have always known – there is something terribly wrong here. The Scottish Government has turned a blind eye for far too long. They simply must take action before we see further accidents, or even, God forbid, a fatality."
