Perthshire politicians' request for full weekend stoppage on A9 roadwork only partially granted by SGN Gas

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Murdo Fraser MSP has welcomed “some changes” in dealing with traffic delays on the A9 north of Dunkeld - but says it’s not the full answer.The Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife wrote to SGN Gas last week to raise his concerns about delays and asked the company if it would consider suspending the roadworks from Friday to Sunday.Mr Fraser said: “I am pressing SGN Gas to suspend works on the A9 at weekends due to the disruption caused.“There is a particular issue with traffic volumes at the weekend which is likely to increase in the run up to the festive period.“Friday afternoons tend to be a peak period for problems.“Accordingly, I have asked SGN Gas if there is scope for works to be suspended from a Friday lunchtime through to a Sunday evening.

This would allow the issue to be removed at the period when there seem to be the most delays.“I would be grateful if SGN Gas could give this active consideration, along with BEAR Scotland, as the current arrangements are clearly not working at an acceptable level to my constituents.”Concurrently, local SNP MSP John Swinney was asking the same concessions of the gas network company.But they were both disappointed not to make more headway for angry constituents.SGN Gas replied that “postponing the works over the entire weekend has been judged to be unfeasible” and that were tools to be downed at weekends to allow traffic to move freely at peak times, the scheduled works would go on for an extra six weeks to make up the time.Some compromise was made when the gas giant did agree to stop roadworks on Saturday and Sunday in the run-up to Christmas.SGN Gas has been under fire since it announced 19 weeks of contraflow traffic moving northward from Birnam to Logierait in an attempt