“Faint hopes” still remain after a lifesaving A90 scheme has been shelved for another four years as part of a Scottish budget pipeline delivering “clarity” on major construction projects.
The A90 flyover at Laurencekirk south junction was not included in the Scottish Government’s last Infrastructure Investment Plan for 2021 to 2026.
It now appears in a post-2030 “development pipeline” following Shona Robison’s delivery of the Scottish Budget on January 13.
The four-year Scottish Spending Review period set out “specific investment plans totalling £11.1 billion” as well as “plans to develop new revenue-financed programmes of investment.”
The included Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline for 2026-2030 “gives the construction sector and the public clarity on the major projects and programmes we will be investing in over the next four years.”
But of the later Development/Future Pipeline, there is a warning that “where business cases and value for money considerations do not stack up projects may be stood down from the development or future pipelines.”
North East region Scottish Conservative MSP Tess White said:
“I still have faint hopes the Scottish Government will keep its promise from the 2016 city deals, even though it won’t be within the 10-year window announced at the time.
“The passion of the community for this much-needed safety improvement hasn’t diminished. There are constant reminders of how dangerous the south crossing is.”
On December 17, Ms White asked Transport Scotland chief executive Alison Irvine for an indicative timeline for design and construction once the statutory process was complete.
This followed correspondence with transport secretary Fiona Hyslop which anticipated compulsory purchase orders would be completed “during the current financial year.”
Ms White added:
“This was a commitment of more than £24 million that has yet to materialise.
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“But the wording of the new pipeline model makes it clear that there’s no money coming for the junction until 2030.
“There may be jam tomorrow.
“Of course, there’s an election in May, so there may be another Bute House agreement with a power-sharing deal involving a Green party which won’t allow road safety improvements, as per the A96.”
