Calls for A947 road improvement work to take priority
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Aberdeenshire councillors have called for improvement work on the notorious A947 road to take priority and not be put on the back-burner.
The local authority's improvement strategy for the route was assessed by the Banff and Buchan area committee during its online meeting on Tuesday.
Two years ago the council formed an A947 Member Officer Working Group which has been carrying out work and examining what improvements can be made to the road which stretches from Banff to Dyce.
Over the years the route has been the scene of a number of fatal and serious road crashes.
The Formartine area committee requested a formal update on the improvement strategy, which was presented as its last meeting, and because the road crosses into Banff and Buchan and Garioch it is also going before councillors in those regions.
Councillor John Cox is chairman of the Member Officer Working Group and he stressed during Tuesday's Banff and Buchan area committee meeting that improvement work for the road had to take top priority.
He said: "The funding from recent reports has shown there has been a deferral and push back in some of the budget spend and the reason being is the commitment to dealing with other issues around Covid and suchlike.
"I would make a recommendation that we can't lose track of the importance of this work, the money that we have invested to date, the development of the strategy and ensure that through reports and Nestrans and suchlike keeps this on track.
"If officers are finding time to do other projects then there has to be some waiting behind to ensure that this project does not drop off and be pushed back because we have been talking about this for a long time.
"The recommendation would be to ensure that the profile of this initiative is kept at the forefront of all others."
Strategic transport officer Robert McGregor introduced the report to the committee.
He said: "The Member Officer Working Group has been in place for the last two years with responsibility to scrutinise and develop the strategy, which has a 20 to 40-year horizon.
"The purpose of the route improvement strategy is to save lives and to improve the quality of life in terms of those relying, using and living along the route.
"It would be fair to say some areas have progressed faster than others and perhaps had greater success and tangible results, in particular the significant reduction of fatal and serious collisions is noted and has certainly been welcomed.
"However, other elements of the strategy perhaps those with more capital intensive works have not progressed in the way originally envisioned and have been hindered by wider implications and projects.
"Overall, while there remains a commitment to the significant investment in the A947, the availability of capital finds to take forward some of the projects is likely to prove difficult or challenging in the medium to long-term.
"We will perhaps have to reflect on the strategy in light of the current circumstances."
The strategy focuses on a number of aspects including route upgrade and realignment; introduction of more appropriate slow moving vehicle lay-bys and overtaking provision; junction improvements; review of bends on the road; enforcement; and education and engagement programmes.
Councillor Ross Cassie said he was interested in the reduction in both collisions and casualties. The report outlines there was a 50 per cent decrease in 2017 and 2018 and further 50 per cent drop in 2019.
Councillor Cassie said: "Given that the dangers that were present prior to those figures are still present, what is the main contributing factor to that do you believe?"
Mr McGregor said there were a number of elements which included engineering improvements like skid resistance on bends; verge markers; better equipped safety features on cars; improved behaviour in people; decline in young people getting licences; and more enforcement.
Councillor Glen Reynolds pointed out Nestrans funding that could be used for improvements on the A947, which will be looked into by roads officers.
The area committee's comments will go to the Member Officer Working Group, which will be meeting again in December, when the strategy will be looked at again in terms of the current circumstances surrounding Covid-19, the oil downturn, the impact of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and potentially the A96 dualling.
