Swallow Roundabout chaos: Why is there no Dundee bypass?

The topic of a Dundee bypass has raised its head once again after recent traffic chaos at the Swallow Roundabout.

Drivers have faced long delays after the installation of traffic lights at the junction, while there has also been confusion over signs and road markings.

That has led to hundreds of motorists complaining to the Scottish Government via a councillor.

Some – including The Courier columnist Steve Finan – say a city bypass would be the obvious solution.

So why has a Dundee bypass never been built?

The Courier looks at the history of the proposal and what barriers it has met.

Dundee bypass one of two options for improving Kingsway traffic

The idea of a Dundee bypass to reduce traffic on the Kingsway has been on the cards for nearly two decades.

A 2008 Scottish Government report outlined a ‘Northern Peripheral Bypass’ as one of two options to improve traffic.

The other option was to upgrade the Kingsway’s roundabouts and junctions.

The report said a new road could leave the A90 to the west of Invergowrie and rejoin the A90 north of Dundee.

It was estimated the bypass would cost between £250 million and £500m at that time.

Traffic on the Kingsway. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

The report said a bypass could reduce Kingsway traffic by up to 50% and improve journey times between Aberdeen and the central belt by up to 15 minutes.

The report also argued a bypass would be less expensive than making incremental improvements to the A90.

Transport Scotland said at the time: “The bypass route is expected to provide more value for money than the on-line upgrade.”

However, the government body also acknowledged the bypass would likely “introduce adverse environmental impacts” in the countryside north of Dundee.

Talks planned on Dundee bypass amid calls from Aberdeen councillor

In January 2013, Dundee City Council and the Scottish Government said they would hold talks about a potential Dundee bypass.

It prompted renewed calls in 2014 from Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City transport partnership, Nestrans, for a Dundee bypass to be built.

Then-Aberdeenshire councillor Peter Argyle told the Evening Telegraph he would back bypass plans.

He said: “If you’re looking to have a good transport network, then having a major through-route from a particularly dynamic part of Scotland through to the central belt that passes through another city isn’t ideal.

“A bypass would be hugely advantageous.”

Councillor Peter Argyle believed a Dundee bypass would benefit drivers in the north-east. Image: Paul Reid

However, Dundee City Council said it wanted to focus on upgrading the Kingsway instead.

In June 2014, the Scottish Government published The National Planning Framework 3.

It once again outlined plans for a bypass as part of Dundee’s regeneration.

The Courier reported how the framework had suggested how a “new alignment bypassing the city” could be an option for upgrading the A90.

Dundee bypass plans ‘consigned to history’

A reader’s letter published in the Evening Telegraph in February 2019 said: “If one travels north from London, the first set of traffic lights and congestion is at Dundee.

“The Aberdeen bypass is almost complete now, leaving Dundee as the only city between London and Aberdeen without a proper bypass.”

In July that year, The Courier also reported how a crash on the A90 had caused traffic chaos and prompted further calls for a bypass.

Kevin Keenan, leader of the council’s opposition Labour group, said the issues showed the “difficulties of not having a bypass outside the city”.

Traffic queueing on the A90 approach to Dundee after the Swallow Roundabout lights went on. Image: Ellidh Aitken/DC Thomson

In October 2019, The Courier reported how plans for a bypass to the north of Dundee were being reappraised by the Scottish Government.

However, in December 2022, it was revealed the plans had been “consigned to history” in the latest Scottish Government Strategic Transport Projects Review.

This report called for road safety improvements to be made to the A90 between Perth and Aberdeen but did not mention a bypass.

According to the report, Holyrood was instead getting behind an “integrated transport plan” for the A90 in Dundee.

The idea has not been back on the table since.

‘Current situation is intolerable – Dundee needs a bypass’

Maurice Golden, Scottish Conservative MSP for the north-east, has previously spoken out in favour of a bypass.

He believes the Scottish Government’s decision to focus on improving the Kingsway was a mistake.

He said: “Dundee desperately needs an alternative like a bypass which would reduce emissions, ease congestion and improve quality of life.

Maurice Golden MSP supports a Dundee bypass. Image: Steven Brown/DC Thomson

“Dundonians look north and see the great impact the Aberdeen bypass has had and wonder why they’ve got nothing.

“The current state of affairs with traffic in Dundee is intolerable.

“This plan must be revisited as a key infrastructure priority.

“Electric cars and public transport need good quality roads too.”

Transport Scotland explains why Dundee bypass ‘not taken forward’

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “We currently have no plans to take forward a Dundee northern bypass or relief road.

“An upgrade to the A90 Kingsway or a possible Dundee northern bypass was considered in 2022.

“But the supporting transport appraisal concluded that it would only bring modest benefits in comparison to the significant environmental and financial costs of a new road.

“The recommendation from the second Strategic Transport Projects Review was that further, more detailed work was required to develop a solution that delivered for both local residents and through-traffic.”