First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a report on whether calls for a flyover at a notorious north-east road junction are warranted would be published next month.
She revealed the timescale at Holyrood yesterday after being asked for her opinion on a serious road accident on the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee close to Laurencekirk last week.
A man was pulled from his burning car after colliding with a lorry on the trunk road, where it meets the A937 Laurencekirk to Marykirk route on May 22.
Montrose florist Jill Fotheringham, who has been campaigning for a flyover at the junction for more than 10 years, said the accident had left her feeling “physically sick”.
It happened the day after she met Transport Minister Derek Mackay at Holyrood to discuss the issue and claimed some people “should be hanging their heads in shame”.
Transport Scotland (TS) provided £100,000 of funding to regional transport partnership Nestrans, which appointed a company called CH2M HILL to consider future traffic growth in the Laurencekirk area.
Ms Sturgeon said her thoughts were with the people involved in the accident and extended her “very best wishes to those who were injured for a speedy and full recovery”.
She added that the circumstances of the crash would have to be properly examined.
Ms Sturgeon said: “The Scottish Government, working alongside the north east of Scotland transport partnership (Nestrans) Angus Council and Aberdeenshire Council, is examining whether improvements are required to the Laurencekirk junction
“Indeed, Transport Scotland is publishing a study next month that will help to inform how access to the junction can be improved.”
The issue was raised in the debating chamber by Angus North and Mearns SNP MSP Nigel Don who asked the first minister how quickly improvements could be made at the junction.