Briggs: SNP Ministers must get a move on with Hillend Junction

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has said that SNP Ministers need to get a move on in delivering improvement works at Hillend junction, to make the junction safer.

A road survey in 2019 recorded over 5,500 “conflicts” at the junction over a four day period and made a number of recommendations to improve safety at the junction, including an option to reconstruct the junction for £5 million.

Written Answers from Michael Matheson, Graeme Dey’s predecessor, at the end of last year stated that :

‘We are continuing to engage with Midlothian Council on further analysis of options aimed at reducing conflict at the A702/A703/Old Pentland Road junction. These potentially involve prohibition of certain movements and / or traffic signalisation, and we are currently discussing the output of traffic modelling with the council prior to finalising a preferred option.

‘We are continuing to analyse a number of options around signalisation and prohibition of movements in order to understand the wider impacts of this on the surrounding local and trunk road network. This is a complex task, which aims to balance the need to reduce conflict at this location along with minimising any reduction in operational performance of the A702 corridor. It is expected that this work will be concluded in summer 2021.‘

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “SNP Ministers really need to get a move on making Hillend Junction safe, because it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

“It is now well over two years since I met the previous Transport Secretary at the junction to highlight how hazardous the junction is and approaching two years since the survey, with recommendations, was carried out.

“It is important we get a decision soon on which option to proceed with, so that works can begin to make Hillend Junction safer.”