STONEHAVEN residents and community leaders are calling for an investigation into a junction where vehicles are crashing or overturning at a pedestrian crossing.
The latest incident was on January 14 when a lorry rolled over onto its side while attempting to negotiate the right hand turn from the B979 Netherley Road onto the A90 southbound slipway. The vehicle came to rest close to the section of pavement used by waiting pedestrians.
At last week’s meeting of Stonehaven and District Community Council, chair David Lawman said: ”This is not the first time we have had a truck keel over – are we going to wait until it is a school child or young mum?
”We need to find out if there is something wrong with the condition of the road.”
At the meeting, Councillor Sarah Dickinson said the matter was already being looked into by Aberdeenshire Council.
Speaking after the meeting she said: “My understanding is that AMEY operate the slip road on to the A90 but the approach to the junction, the section of the B979 between the traffic lights and the roundabout comes under Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL).
”It also seems that injury collision data is usually a key consideration in determining to investigate whether remedial works are required to mitigate the cause of collisions on a section of road. We know that there have been numerous instances where lorries have gone over as they have turned right from the junction and at least one occasion when a car has also hit the barriers.”
Councillor Dickinson asks for action
Mrs Dickinson said she too had concerns for locals using the crossing.
She said: “Residents, including children, of the Ury estate walk to and from the town centre of Stonehaven and school using this junction and crossing point. Thankfully, to date no one has been injured but someone could so easily have been caught up in these incidents with devastating consequences.
”I would urge ARL to investigate this junction given the risks that are so clearly present here and to work with Amey, as necessary, to remove or mitigate these risks.”
Fears for schoolchildren
And one father told The Bellman the route his children must take to school could not be considered safe.
Peter Mackintosh said: ”One of the main issues is that Mackie Academy is not required to provide a bus service for children that live on Ury Estate as there is considered to be a safe walking route to school – it is anything but safe.
”When I moved here I thought there would be a walking route to school via the link road connecting Netherly and Slug roads, but that is not happening any time soon.
”My children currently walk / cycle to Mackie and I feel very uneasy about them crossing that junction. There are dozens of other children on the estate that are of primary school age at the moment and will faced with that route to school over the coming years.”
And Mr Mackintosh too make a plea for an investigation and measures to improve safety at the junction.
He said: ”Without an investigation and some changes to the road layout it seems inevitable that there will be more accidents / vehicles toppling, and of course if a pedestrian was to be caught up in it the consequences would be severe.”
Aberdeen Roads Ltd say they are looking into it
Aberdeen Roads Ltd are the consortium behind the building of the AWPR and are responsible for its operation and maintenance until 2047.
They say they are reviewing the performance of this junction to see if any additional measures are required to inform and assist driver behaviour.
A spokesperson said: ”We are aware of five road traffic accidents reported in six years at this junction. Three of the accidents involved a car. The other two accidents involved a lorry and in one case, a lorry with an insecure load overturned.
”We hope to complete our review very shortly and will update you on our findings.”
Caption: Too many drivers are failing to keep their vehicles under control as they negotiate the right hand turn onto the A90
All photographs courtesy of Peter Mackintosh