A major traffic jam brought Elgin to a standstill yesterday – prompting renewed calls for the controversial Western Link Road to go ahead.
A lorry carrying an abnormal load broke down on the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness route through the town, forcing police to close a lengthy stretch for almost two hours.
Huge queues of traffic formed as engineers carried out repairs to the truck’s burst hydraulic pipe.
Last night campaigners for the divisive Western Link Road claimed the congestion proved the need for an alternative route around the heart of Moray’s biggest town.
Council convener Allan Wright has spearheaded the campaign for the new road linking Wittet Drive with Edgar Road – despite fierce opposition from residents in those streets.
He said last night: “In all likelihood, that lorry would not have been travelling through that part of Elgin had the Western Link Road in place.
“Incidents like this do promote the cause for the Western Link Road.”
He added: “I would think that residents who are firmly opposed to the development are unlikely to be swayed on the matter.
“But those people who are not firmly in one camp or the other may be influenced by incidents such as this.”
As Mr Wright suggested, one leading opponent of the scheme Jim Wiseman, who lives on Edgar Road, dismissed the claim.
He said: “Incidents like this happen from time to time all over the place, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
“They are not, of themselves, a reason for building a complete alternative road.”
Mr Wiseman also accused the Moray Council of dragging its heels in delivering the outcome of talks held between Western Link Road planners and critics.
He and fellow opponents to the scheme met council officers at the end of last month in an attempt to resolve the differences between the two sides, but there has been no official response since then.
The lorry, carrying large pieces of equipment for offshore oil drilling, ground to a halt at about 2.40pm yesterday.
The A96 was closed from the town’s Tesco supermarket eastwards to the end of High Street while the repairs were carried out.
The bulky pieces of offshore equipment were being ferried from Inverness to Aberdeen by central belt firm Cadzow Haulage.
A spokesman for the company said: “The lorry was carrying a piece of oil equipment for use on the rigs.
“It broke down as a result of a burst hydraulic pipe, which could happen to any vehicle driving down the road – it’s like getting a puncture.
“As we are down near Glasgow we contacted a company in Aberdeen to see about repair, and they arranged for a local company from Elgin to go out to mend the vehicle.
“The Elgin firm was very responsive and we can’t thank the guys enough.”
A spokeswoman for Elgin’s Sheriffmill motor company confirmed staff attended to repair the stricken lorry.
A police spokesman added: “We received reports of a broken down lorry at 2.40pm and it was cleared at around 4.30pm.
“Police officers were called to assist with traffic management.”