Calls have been made for urgent upgrades to a collision blackspot on the A90 after data revealed seven people have died on the road in the last three years.
Figures, obtained from police by the Scottish Conservatives, showed a further 49 people were injured in crashes at the Toll of Birness junction, on the A90 north of Ellon road.
The notorious junction has been at the centre of heated discussions at Holyrood for years due to the increasing number of incidents on that stretch of road.
Campaigners have repeatedly called for upgrades to the interchange, with Transport Scotland saying safety improvements were “considered” as part of the review in 2021.
But last year, fears were raised the collision blackspot has become an “afterthought” after it was axed from the government’s national transport strategy (STPR2).
Scottish Government figures have also revealed just £68,000 has been spent on safety improvements at the Toll of Birness since 2017.
Shadow transport secretary and north-east MSP Liam Kerr has now hit out at the lack of investment, saying this is a betrayal to the families of those who have died.
He said: “It’s scandalous the Toll of Birness hasn’t been included in the STPR2 which is why I will be outlining every reason why this shocking omission must be overturned.
“Just on Monday, four vehicles were involved in a crash underlining the dangers of the junction, especially at night.
“Every collision is one too many and the lack of investment is a betrayal to the families whose loved ones have tragically died or suffered injuries on the road.”
‘Time to prioritise Toll of Birness to save lives’
Mr Kerr is urging transport minister Jenny Gilruth to make a U-turn and include a potential upgrade to the Toll of Birness in the masterplan.
A total of 45 recommendations – 38 of which are already under way – have been made as part of the 20-year framework, which was introduced last December.
And while transport secretary Michael Matheson said in 2019 that improvements to the junction would be considered for the masterplan, such were omitted from the final draft.
Mr Kerr added: “Despite such strong public outcry for this upgrade, it’s plain to see this SNP government has turned its back on communities including Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Mintlaw.
“Fast forward more than 15 years since Alex Salmond first promised to upgrade the A90 north of Ellon, motorists may have to wait another 20 before this government next looks at improvements to the road.
“It’s high time Jenny Gilruth does the right thing and prioritises this major route to prevent more lives from being lost.”
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman explained action has been taken to address the safety concerns.
She said: “We recognise local safety concerns about the A90 at the Toll of Birness junction which is why we have installed a vehicle activated sign to advise drivers where they are exceeding the speed limit. We will evaluate the effectiveness of this measure before considering any further improvements.
“Aberdeenshire Council has also identified that upgrades to the junction are required to mitigate the impact of development within their Local Development Plan. In line with Scottish Planning Policy the detail of what those are, their funding and implementation, is a matter for the Council and developers. STPR2 does not supersede the need to for the Council and developers to do this.”
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