DRIVERS ARE facing the prospect of a further three to five years of tailbacks at the Swallow roundabout at Dundee’s Western Gateway, the city council confirmed yesterday.

It is now nearly four years since the trunk roads authority told a planning hearing that the roundabout was “operating at, or over, capacity at peak periods” and they would not contemplate further development in the area until the issue is tackled.

It was subsequently included in a list of the 10 worst bottlenecks in the country in terms of time spent in queuing traffic.

Consultants engaged by the then Scottish Executive identified a preferred option of an enlarged roundabout with access regulated by traffic lights more than 18 months ago.

A spokesperson for the planning department said, “We have an agreed scheme with Transport Scotland to upgrade the roundabout to a larger size with greater capacity (and capable of future signalisation).

“We are currently assembling the funding for this upgrade from developer contributions and a number of public grant sources.

“The timing of the upgrade is linked to the development of new housing in the Western Gateway, but it is currently anticipated within three to five years.”

The spokesperson added that the intention is to create as large a roundabout as possible at the site and the city council has made an application for funding to Transport Scotland.

The roads authority recommended no significant development around the western fringes of the city should be approved until a study into the impact on the A90 is completed.