Broxden roundabout revamp delay blasted
Councillor says transport bosses‘dragging heels’
A councillor has criticised roads bosses after they conceded they are still nowhere near ready to start improvement works at Broxden roundabout despite scoping works starting two years ago.
Perth City South councillor Willie Wilson hit out after a spokesperson for Transport Scotland admitted a feasibility report the agency previously promised would be ready by the end of July last year has still not been completed.
The spokesperson made the admission after the PA asked the agency for an update on its work to see if new signals and lanes can be added to the intersection, and if this would reduce the amount of traffic building up on approaches at peak times.
Last July a spokesperson told this newspaper: “The interim feasibility report is expected to be completed this month and the geotechnical investigations by the end of October.
“Once this work has been completed we will consider potential options and engage with stakeholders, including Councillor Wilson.”
Earlier this month the John Dewar
Lamberkin Trust unveiled its own ideas to address the ever-growing queues at Broxden.
It wants to create a new route leading off the A9 south of Broxden which would allow drivers to avoid the roundabout and enter the city via a new underpass.
But when the PA asked Transport Scotland about its own plans for Broxden, a spokesperson said last Friday: “Transport Scotland continues to develop proposals for the improvement of Broxden Roundabout. We are clear this would support development around Perth and the wider safety of the trunk road network.
“We are in discussions with both the council and developers of specific developments, including the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, to understand what, if any impact they may have, and how they may contribute to mitigating that impact in line with Scottish Government planning policy.”
Reacting to that statement, Cllr Wilson told the PA: “Transport Scotland should by now have come forward with a detailed plan of what is proposed to improve traffic flows at Broxden Roundabout. Instead of this it seems to be dragging its heels.
“We need a detailed programme for the work and specific proposals for improvement at this major junction.
“The delay is causing increasing problems on the trunk road system and now this is spilling over onto local streets.
“Lamberkine Drive, Ettrick Drive and Fittis Road are being used as rat runs to avoid the city bypass and Broxden.
“That defeats the whole purpose of having a ring road.
“The Scottish Government need to get a full grip of the situation and instruct their officials to produce a working plan to solve the problem now – not pontificate on what might happen in the next five to 10 years.”