Current Issues

• A9 Dualling
  Dualling of the A9 between Perth & Inverness has been planned for decades, some existing sections of single carriageway even sit in a cutting that was blasted wide enough for two carriageways. Silly little 2+1 schemes which will be rendered irrelevant when the road is dualled are a waste of time and money, and an indication of poor planning and inefficient use of public money.
  The ABD wants to see work start now, not in ten years time. A new carriageway should be built alongside the existing one, and in many places this can be done without disrupting traffic on the existing carriageway. The carriageways do not need to be right next to each other. Much of the road passes through moorland, with few junctions, so there is no reason why the two carriageways cannot be separated by some distance. this will make construction easier, and make the road safer in the long term by eliminating crossover accidents and glare from oncoming traffic at night.
  
  
• A83 Rest and Be Thankful
  Ongoing problems caused by the unstable hillside in Glen Croe adjacent to Rest and Be Thankful have caused the A83 to be closed for days on end on several occasion. This involves a detour of at least an extra 25 miles, 36 from Cairndow. It is not acceptable that these problems continue with seemingly no plan to properly resolve the issue.
  In the short term we'd like to see the following:
  • Investigation of the possibility of using the forest track on the other side of Glen Croe as a contingency route that can be opened in the event of a landslide blocking the main road.
  • Similarly, investigation of the possibility of using the old single track "military road" in Glen Croe as a contingency route.
  • Both routes may require some improvements, and neither may be suitable for HGVs. Together they might operate a two way contingency route.
  • Improvements would not be a waste of money as both could be used as cycle routes when not being used as contingency routes. Indeed the forest track is already a designated leisure cycle route.
  In the longer term:
  • A proper investigation of whether trying to keep the existing A road in Glen Croe open is viable — should a new route entirely be looked at instead?
  • One option might be a tunnel beneath Rest and be Thankful.
  • Another might be an entirely new route over the hills, perhaps via upper Glen Kinglass (where a track already exists), and then via Loch Sloy or Gleann Uaine, to Inveruglas. We don't profess to have surveyed these routes, but somebody should be considering possibilities.
  • In either of these cases, the current and new roads might act as contingency for each other.
  
  
• AWPR
  The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, which should have been built years ago, continues to be delayed by objectors. It is not acceptable than such minorities should hold Aberdeen to ransom. They had their chance to object and lost. Further objections should not be allowed.