Kingswells, Sheddocksley, Summerhill councillor Steve Delaney proposed embarking on the first steps towards dualing the Lang Stracht at Aberdeen City Council’s budget meeting last week.

Steve has been campaigning for the road to be dualed for the past ten years, both in respect of the poor design of road and how it does not lend itself to the free flowing of traffic, but also in view of plans for significant development along this corridor.

He said, “750 homes are planned for Maidencraig and 3,000 at Countesswells. There’s also a proposed housing development of 370 homes on the former Summerhill Academy site. With current plans suggesting the main route in and out of Countesswells will also be the Lang Stracht and the other two developments already destined for the Lang Stracht, it’s pretty obvious we have a problem here”.

Steve told councillors, “In order to keep the city moving we need to take action now. We’ve delivered the Third Don Crossing, we’re progressing the Berryden Corridor and of course a new crossing over the River Dee. Lets ensure that we don’t become blinkered and consider that it’s a case of job done, because it’s certainly not”.

“Currently the Lang Stracht’s near gridlock and occasionally can gridlock in the morning peak. And it’s for that reason that I’ve been advocating the dualling of this road for the past ten years. However, with the advent of the AWPR next year, this will become an access route for many people living in my neck of the woods to access the bypass, so things can only get worse”.

The first stage towards making improvements would have been an options appraisal on the Lang Stracht. This would have identified the extent of that problem and offered up some evidence based solutions going forward.

Regrettably this proposal attracted no support from Labour, Conservative or SNP councillors