Motorists faced delays yesterday after a three-vehicle accident in the heart of Moray’s biggest town.
Emergency services were called to a three-car accident in the Alexandra Road section of the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road through Elgin at around 11.30am.
The incident involved a Filshill transport lorry, a silver Renault Clio and a dark red Honda Civic, and happened on the approach to the roundabout near the town hall.
Nobody was injured, but the back of the Clio was badly damaged after being sandwiched between the lorry and Honda.
The road was partially blocked for almost two hours while crews worked to clear the Clio, causing huge tailbacks which brought traffic to a halt for long periods.
The silver car was eventually recovered at around 1pm.
A police spokesman confirmed the call came in at 11.30am and officers remained at the scene to direct traffic until the road was all clear by 1pm.
This is the second major incident causing traffic jams on the stretch of road in the last three weeks following the break down of a lorry with an abnormal load last month.
The incident sparked a fresh row over the proposed Western Link Road for the town, after Moray Council convener Allan Wright said it “promoted the cause” for the route as the truck would likely have been using it, rather than grinding to a halt on the A96.
However, opponents of the scheme dismissed the remarks as “utter nonsense” and seized upon the statement as an indication that the council viewed the route as a town-centre bypass.