Road to safety

You reported the loss of half the A68 road at ‘The Tunnel’ south of Pathhead where a hole some 25meters deep has appeared (12 August). The rain that fell in a local band on Tuesday night was of tropical proportions.

This act of God gives the road department an excellent opportunity to straighten the road and build across the gully at an angle, avoiding the two corners between which the road has collapsed, thus making the road shorter and safer for motorists. It would also simplify the work of the snowploughs in the winter. Both of the adjacent landowners have indicated they are willing for some of their land to be used for this purpose. This improvement would be possible at the same or little extra cost to repairing the road in its current position.

Transport Scotland have proposed and have even acquired the land, to widen the A68 road from a two to a three-lane road (a recognised death trap style of road) south of Pathhead but just north of this road collapse and the improvement I have mentioned would be a far better use of our tax revenues. ALASTAIR SALVESEN CBE

Whitburgh, Pathhead