The former husband of the woman pedestrian who died after an accident at Raigmore Interchange has contacted Labour MSP Rhoda Grant expressing his anger at the lack of a firm date when a new traffic light crossing is set be installed there.
The man, who does not want to be named, has been pressing Transport Scotland for improved safety at the roundabout over the years since the accident.
The agency has moved to put up new signage, landscaping and a reduced speed limit on the roundabout and the roads feeding into it.
However, Highland Council, the lead authority on a new Raigmore Interchange scheme, has said it is putting together a programme of replacement for the 12 sets of junction and pedestrian crossings in Inverness, due to be completed within this financial year, and Raigmore Interchange is included and will be one of the first few to be addressed.
But it adds: “At this time we can give no further specific detail on dates as we still have work to do on materials and contractor availability.”
Mrs Grant, who represents the Highlands and Islands, said the lack of a definite date and the number of years since the woman’s death on the southbound A9 slip-road has angered her former husband and leaves the MSP concerned too.
“My Labour colleague, David Stewart, who retired as an MSP at the election, did a lot of work on this issue, meeting Transport Scotland and council officials, asking questions and contacting Police Scotland on constituents’ behalf,” she said.
“People are still concerned about safety there and her former husband is very angry about the delay and you can understand why.
“Surely, it is time to give a date and stick to it? After all, this has been going on for years and we still haven’t seen a solution to the south bound slip-road having no pedestrian crossing linked to traffic lights to stop the traffic flow and make it safer.”
Previously, Transport Scotland said that traffic lights could be installed at all four entry points to the roundabout under a planned new scheme, which would provide “an equitable split in green time between vehicles and pedestrians and cyclists”.
It added that what the system would provide, at all times, in the traffic light cycle was a green man phase for pedestrians to cross each traffic flow safely in turn.