Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Council calls for motorist views to drive improvements on deadly road

Councillor John Cox has welcomed progress on the A947 improvement strategy.
Councillor John Cox has welcomed progress on the A947 improvement strategy.

Aberdeenshire Council has urged motorists in the region to air their views on how to boost safety on one of the north-east’s deadliest roads.

A consultation is underway on measures to improve the A947 Aberdeen to Banff route over the next two decades.

Several sections of the 38-mile road have had minor upgrades over recent years, and police have cracked down on speeding drivers.

However, council chiefs are pushing to dramatically upgrade it in order to reflect its status as “an economic artery for business and industry located in North Aberdeenshire”.

The public consultation is reaching out to drivers and communities along the route, including in Turriff, Oldmeldrum and Newmachar.

A survey is available online, and in council offices, community centres and libraries along the A947.

A council spokesman said: “While work on local engineering interventions and enforcement will continue to help reduce accident rates, a longer term strategy is being developed.

“This is intended to outline improvements required to address strategic objectives for increased safety and improved journey times over the next 20 years.”

The A947 passes through three of the local authority’s administrative areas – Garioch, Formartine and Banff and Buchan.

Banff and Buchan area committee chairman John Cox, who has been a vocal supporter for improvements, welcomed the consultation.

He said: “We want to develop a route fit for the purpose of connecting communities along the route in a safe, effective, and sustainable manner while supporting regeneration activity in north Aberdeenshire.

“Understanding the thoughts and concerns of motorists using the A947 day in, day out should mean a more comprehensive strategy will be produced which reflects the concerns of regular road users.”

Formartine chairman Rob Merson said the transport network in the region was expected to “change dramatically” with the completion of the AWPR and improvements to A947 infrastructure would be a vital component.

Garioch chairman Fergus Hood added: “While it may not be a trunk road, the A947 plays a strategic role in Aberdeenshire’s transport network, connecting thousands of residents with jobs and other opportunities.”

The closing date for responses is Monday, September 7.