Safety Review (A9)

Question Time — Scottish Executive – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:00 pm on 30 May 2002.

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Photo of Murdo Fraser Murdo Fraser Conservative 2:00, 30 May 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to carry out a safety review of the A9 south of Perth. (S1O-5247)

Photo of Lewis Macdonald Lewis Macdonald Labour

We have recently received the findings of a safety review of the A9 between Perth and Stirling and further work will be undertaken on the basis of that study.

Photo of Murdo Fraser Murdo Fraser Conservative

The minister will be aware of the concerns of residents of Auchterarder and Blackford about the safety of the junctions that serve those communities. Can the minister assure us that those junctions will be upgraded before any further housing development takes place in those areas?

Photo of Lewis Macdonald Lewis Macdonald Labour

I can confirm that we are examining proposals for upgrading junctions at Auchterarder and Blackford to accommodate developments that are proposed or which are at the planning stage. We expect the developers in those cases to meet the majority of the costs involved in such roadworks.

Photo of Roseanna Cunningham Roseanna Cunningham Scottish National Party

I listened to the minister's reply with interest. He will be aware that one of the big issues in a constituency such as mine is access for slow-moving traffic joining roads such as the A9. That is also a huge problem on the A90. I want to raise an issue on which I have corresponded with the minister, which is the Middlebank to Inchmichael link road. Many people want that road, including the local roads department, the police and the National Farmers Union of Scotland. I think that the minister's department accepts in principle that the road would be a good thing, even if it does not translate that into practice. Can the minister give any hope to my constituents about the future of that proposal? Will he agree at least to meet them, rather than simply suggest that they meet the local project director?

Photo of Lewis Macdonald Lewis Macdonald Labour

I suggest that Roseanna Cunningham's constituents, whom she has represented in correspondence with me, should take up the offer of a meeting with local officials. Following that meeting, I would welcome any further representations that she wishes to make. We have committed significant funds to creating grade-separated junctions on that stretch of the A90—that is the priority to improve road safety on that stretch of road. We will consider how to augment the proposals in order further to improve road safety.