The cost of a controversial road project in Moray has soared to £11.8million – prompting fresh calls for it to be scrapped.
Council chiefs appeared to have appeased opponents of Elgin’s Western Link Road last week by making changes to the design in response to their concerns.
But last night it emerged the revisions had added to a spiralling total, adding £2.6million to the bill.
And although campaigners welcomed the modified design, they remain staunchly opposed to the scheme and have criticised the rising sum.
Moray Green Party leader James Mackessack-Leitch, a principal opponent against the road, accused Moray Council of “throwing good money after bad” and urged them to axe the plan.
He said: “In these straitened times, the concern is that this project is attracting ever more resources.
“Councillors now have an opportunity to end this saga, and with costs increasing by over £2.6million in less than a year, the time has surely come to stop throwing good money after bad and invest in projects we actually need.”
Fellow campaigner James Wiseman added: “I’ve not had a satisfactory answer as to why there is so much money going into this.
“The council is spending £11.8million to bring noise and pollution nearer to a school – and that doesn’t sound like a good investment to me.”
But Moray Council leader Stewart Cree last night stressed the necessity of an additional crossing over Elgin’s railway line, and said the council had added measures to quell traffic along Wittet Drive.
And local house builder Springfield Properties urged the local authority to “make up its mind” on a route.
Managing director Innes Smith said: “This has been going on for too long now, it is time to make a decision.
“The possibility of the Wittet Drive route has been hanging over the council and the people of Elgin for more than a decade.
“Decisive action needs to be taken, one way or the other as the lack of an agreed route is leading to increased congestion in the town, especially at peak periods.”
Mr Cree last night described Mr Smith’s claims as “apposite” and said the project needed to proceed.
He said: “This is very much my feeling as well, as everyone in Elgin does agree there is a great need for an additional bridge across the railway line.”
“This has gone on for too long now.”
A report submitted to councillors explains the rising cost as a consequence of delays, inflating construction costs, property acquisition and design changes.
Those changes were set in motion last year when Moray Council performed a sensational U-turn on the proposal – reinstating it weeks after its planning committee voted it down.
When the programme was revived last December, councillors asked that it be redesigned to address objectors’ concerns.
Last week residents from areas which would be impacted met with council representatives to inspect those changes.
Though campaigners stressed their “fundamental opposition” to the scheme, they conceded that changes to the design would make it more palatable to locals.
Alterations include reducing road width, improving facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, traffic calming measures and the creation of cycle paths and footways at certain points.
The council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee will be asked to approve the additional costs at a meeting next Tuesday.