A call for more road diversion planning has been made following congestion caused by heavy A9 traffic being routed through Dunblane and its surrounding roads last Friday afternoon.
The A9 had been closed in both directions for a number of hours due to a tanker fire on the northbound carriageway near Ashfield. There were no reports of injuries.
It was pointed out this week that road closures on the A9 north of the town with diversions are a regular occurrence - Friday’s incident was the second time in a week that traffic had been diverted off the A9.
The town’s community council called for an investigation into the amount of accidents on the road and for more diversion planning.
Police Scotland said that the trunk road was closed in both directions last Friday afternoon as officers and emergency services responded to the lorry fire. It had been reported to police at 3.20pm.
Traffic had been diverted through Dunblane from the Keir roundabout into the town centre and on to Kinbuck and Braco.
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There was also congestion as southbound traffic used the narrow Sheriffmuir road to avoid the scene around the same time.
Terence O’Byrne of Dunblane Community Council said: “When both the north and southbound carriageways are closed the single track sections of the B8033 and the Sheriffmuir relief roads get blocked.
“There has to be an investigation into why there are so many accidents at this section of the A9.
“We also need to come up with a better emergency diversion plan in the event of accidents.
“We are seeking an urgent meeting with interested parties like Transport Scotland and Stirling Council on this issue.”
Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillor Alasdair Tollemache said: “This was the second time in a week that traffic was diverted off the A9 following accidents.
“There have been several diversions in recent weeks which raise serious questions. One of them is the safety of the A9 and its slip roads.
“I believe these slips are not compliant to current standards, so I’ll be writing to Transport Scotland and asking for them to meet with all relevant bodies including the community council.
“There is also the question of the suitability of the surrounding roads to cope with the volume of traffic during diversions.
“This is particularly concerning when traffic is diverted through Kinbuck.
“Residents there have particular concerns over the safety of this road covering the speed limit, the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.”
A spokeperson for infrastructure support company Amey said: “Amey assisted Police Scotland with two incidents on the A9 near Dunblane which occurred on Friday afternoon. One incident, on the A9 northbound, involved an HGV fire and required an emergency road closure for safety whilst emergency services attended.
“Safety on the trunk road network is a priority and we continue to assess any incidents to identify causes in order that any potential mitigation measures may be considered.”
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “The Council will raise this matter with the relevant trunk road operating company and Transport Scotland at a scheduled meeting later this month.”
Transport Scotland was contacted for comment.
