Delay fears over A77 upgrade work

Jan 23 2009

A VITAL upgrade to one of the most dangerous sections of the A77 could be delayed.

Fears were raised this week that a public inquiry into the £11m improvement scheme may be stalled until the summer.

Ayr MSP John Scott insists that nothing should be allowed to delay the project further.

He said: “Basically everyone agrees that the proposed road safety upgrade at Symington and Bogend Toll is essential, although there are some remaining individual concerns which have made a public local inquiry necessary.

“However, if the date of the local inquiry is allowed to slip back from this spring then that will inevitably impact on any start for construction, perhaps pushing it back as far as 2011.”

Mr Scott has written to the Scottish Government appealing to ministers to take steps to ensure that the inquiry takes place as soon as possible.

He added: “I have been assured by Transport Scotland, the agency responsible for delivering the road improvement scheme, that funding remains in place for this project, but of course nothing further can be done until the public inquiry process has concluded.

“I have now written to the transport minister drawing this matter to his attention and calling on him and the Scottish Government to take every step possible to bring forward to as early a date as possible the commencement of the inquiry.

“Certainly the delays that have held up this project, which it must be remembered was originally meant to have started in 2006, mean that these safety works, which will undoubtedly help improve road safety on this notorious stretch of the A77, cannot come soon enough.”