Brian Whittle is calling for more investment in the local road network to grow the local economy. The South Scotland MSP has contacted the Scottish Government highlighting the Bellfield Interchange as a particular problem.
In recent years, proposed developments near the interchange have been blocked on the basis that the Bellfield roundabout couldn’t cope with any additional traffic.
Brian has also been in touch with Transport Scotland to see if any options are available to ease congestion, such as traffic lights, but they’ve indicated that there’s little that can be done. He has now submitted a question to Transport Secretary Humza Yousaf asking whether the Scottish Government has any plans to upgrade the Bellfield Interchange and if not, why not.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“Regular users of the A77 and Bellfield Interchange will be familiar with the queues the current volume of traffic generates. The route already deals with more traffic than it was expected to deal with, but it’s clearly reached its limit.
Bellfield is the gateway to Ayrshire for traffic coming South but instead of delivering easy access to places like Kilmarnock, Irvine, Cumnock, Prestwick Airport, drivers are regularly met with queues.
If we want to have a strong local economy, we need to have a strong local road infrastructure. Whether it’s a business that needs good transport links or tourists looking for a place to visit, the quality of the local road network matters.
The Scottish Government need to invest in the A77 for the long term good of the economy and exploring how to upgrade the Bellfield Interchange would be a good place to start.”
