Investment is key to improving A82 safety

The article on page three concerning the shocking collision figures for the A82 will come as no surprise to the many people in and around Fort William who travel on the road regularly.

One of the most dangerous sections of road is at Corrychurrachan by Loch Linnhe which saw 11 accidents, while the turn-off at Corran Ferry was the most dangerous junction on the A82 with four incidents in five years.

In Fort William and Inverlochy there were 13 reported incidents, while west of Spean Bridge there have been six road collisions since April 2013.

The figures also highlighted a number of blackspots close to the Glencoe Ski Resort.

While the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland have made some inroads into improving infrastructure, they have not gone far enough.

This is a major arterial route and the simple fact is the road is not fit for purpose – and people are dying or being seriously injured on it as a result.

While driver education, including enforcement by traffic police is part of the long-term solution, another key factor has to be long-term and significant investment to upgrade the road and improve safety.

While it is welcome that accident figures in 2017 were down on 2016 statistics, to ensure those figures continue to be driven down, upgrading the A82 must be part of the long-term plan.