View that Bellfield Interchange won't be a priority for 20 years blasted as 'scandalous'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Transport Scotland's view that the busy Bellfield Interchange won't become a priority for almost twenty years has been blasted as 'scandalous'.East Ayrshire Council leader Douglas Reid, said that the decision, combined with the failure to secure £10m in levelling up funds from the UK Government would have implications for both safety and the economic growth of the region.The council leader said that the lack of improvements at the much lambasted roundabout, which serves as a hub between Ayrshire and the central belt, was having economic repercussions for local people, leading to more and more leaving the area.We announced last week that changes to the major junction, including traffic lights, were up in the air.He said: "We can't address some of the issues of population decline until we unlock the gridlock that we have here."It's not just that.

We know only too well, every time you put on the radio there's another accident."We know what a blockage does in terms of restricting movement in the area, but it's the [impact on] long term growth and I think it's absolutely scandalous that Transport Scotland doesn't think this is a priority before 2042."Cllr Reid insisted that even more needs to be done to lobby Scottish Government and Transport Scotland, both in safety terms and the future growth of the region.He added that other parts of Scotland seemed to be getting the help that East Ayrshire needs."Other areas of Scotland, particularly the east coast, seem to be thriving at the moment."In terms of the southwest of Scotland, the investment in an area in which we've seen decline in terms of population, there's been very scant investment plans for the future."The stance that Transport Scotland have here are is nothing short of