Review all options call over town’s congestion

Traffic: Dualled A96 too far away and not answer – councillor

A councillor has demanded urgent action to tackle congestion in one of Aberdeenshire’s fastest growing towns.

Tory councillor Colin Clark said options to address Inverurie’s growing traffic issues should be put “back on the table” so they can be resolved as quickly as possible.

Garioch residents will have to wait until 2019 before a “preferred option” for dualling the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road around Inverurie is selected.

Proposals being considered by Transport Scotland for the “eastern section” of the road include a dual carriageway from Blackburn to just north of Huntly, passing west of Inverurie and close to the Bennachie Forest.

Another option is a smaller eastern bypass, connecting Inverurie and the Glens of Foudland. Both would be delivered alongside the wider improvements being implemented on the A96.

Transport Scotland has committed itself to dualling the road by 2030.

The Scottish Government’s department for planning and environmental appeals recently examined Aberdeenshire Council’s proposed 2016 local development plan.

Senior planners concluded the local authority “continues to place too much emphasis on the effects of the proposed dualling of the A96” and that the town centre congestion currently “compromised the operation” of the A96.

Inverurie and District councillor Mr Clark said: “The reporter said the A96 is not necessarily the answer to Inverurie’s congestion. Inverurie is hamstrung unless we are able to find some way of relieving traffic. It is not going to be dealt with until I am an old man.

“It could be 2025 or 2030. We don’t see the corridor until 2019.

“Can we relieve the traffic through Inverurie? We (councillors) need to discuss it again, but what is the solution? The A96 is too far away and not the answer.

“We have to look at how we are going to address the congestion in Inverurie. It is choked up for two to three hours a day.

“It is one of the biggest issues and we get consistent complaints about it.”

A council report following the DPEA’s comments – which went before the council’s Garioch area committee in January stated: “They (the reporters) conclude that they think the A96 will not address all issues of congestion in Inverurie town centre but that any solution would be best managed in full knowledge of the A96 option that is to be progressed.”

“It is one of the biggest issues and we get consistent complaints”

Photograph: Colin Rennie NEW LOOK: Conservative councillor Colin Clark says new ideas are needed over how to ease traffic in Inverurie.