Changes to the Swallow Roundabout in Dundee have proven to be highly controversial.
Hundreds of drivers have raised concerns since changes were implemented at the western entrance to the city earlier this year.
It has led to many questions about the work, including who made the decisions and what happens next.
The Courier looks at seven key questions surrounding the Swallow Roundabout.
1. What changes have been made at the Swallow Roundabout?
Traffic lights have been installed on all approaches to the Swallow Roundabout for the first time.
There are now three lanes on the roundabout instead of two, and both the north and southbound A90 approaches have three lanes.
New pedestrian and cycle paths have also been added.
The work was carried out by contractor Luddon Construction on behalf of housing developer Springfield.
2. Why were these changes required?
The changes to the Swallow Roundabout were a planning condition of the Western Gateway housing development at Dykes of Gray, where hundreds of new homes have been built.
Upgrades to the junction were designed to make it easier for both cars and pedestrians to access the new estate.
As far back as 2004, the need for changes to the A90 to accommodate housing developments was raised by the Scottish Executive, now the Scottish Government.
A report highlighted how the “trunk road network and associated local road links on to the A90 trunk road are currently operating at, or over, capacity during peak periods”.
However, the government report also warned against a “piecemeal approach” to upgrading the A90, with The Courier reporting at the time that “small, isolated and uncoordinated improvements being taken forward by individual developers” were “likely to be disruptive to the operation of the local and trunk road network”.
3. Who was responsible for the new design?
Springfield has overseen the project.
It says it commissioned “third-party specialists” to design the changes and these were “thoroughly reviewed and approved” by authorities, including Transport Scotland.
Springfield says Dundee City Council demanded the installation of the lights – a claim we have put to the local authority without response.
However, it is unclear exactly why traffic lights were chosen as the preferred option for addressing traffic concerns and who ultimately signed off on it.
A lack of clarity on the decision-making process has been a theme at the Swallow Roundabout.
In 2008, we reported how the now-defunct Kingsway West Community Council had contacted The Courier “in a bid to clarify issues relating to the Western Gateway development after claiming its efforts to prise the information from the local authority had been largely rebuffed”.
Our story said: “The council was asked why planning and transportation director Mike Galloway appeared keen to press ahead with a proposal for traffic lights at the Swallow Roundabout when this was considered the least desirable option in a trunk roads network management directive report.”
A copy of this report, produced by the Scottish Executive, does not appear to be available online today.
However, The Courier has now requested copies of this document from both the council and Transport Scotland.
Concerns about changes to the roundabout and the impact of the housing development were also raised more than a decade ago during the planning process.
4. Why have drivers complained?
The main complaint has been long queues caused by the traffic lights, particularly during the morning rush hour on the A90 Perth to Dundee approach.
Drivers have faced queues as far back as Longforgan on occasions and some even say their commute times have doubled.
Further concerns have also been raised about “confusing” lane markings and ‘no right turn’ signs at the junction.
5. Who is responsible for the roundabout?
Springfield remains in charge of the junction for now.
Eventually, the roundabout will come under the control of Amey, the roads agency that looks after certain trunk roads on behalf of Transport Scotland.
Amey says this handover has not happened yet.
6. Who’s leading the fight for answers on the Swallow Roundabout?
Carse of Gowrie councillors Angus Forbes (Conservative) and Alasdair Bailey (Labour) have both been vocal critics of the situation at the roundabout.
In April, Mr Forbes launched a survey asking drivers and residents to share their experiences.
More than 1,000 responded with their complaints about longer journey times and other issues.
The results were sent to transport secretary Fiona Hyslop, who defended the changes and declined an invitation to see the issues for herself.
Meanwhile, it was a Freedom of Information request by Mr Bailey – shared with The Courier – that uncovered the results of March’s safety audit, after Springfield had refused to publish them.
In addition, The Courier has covered the issues at the Swallow Roundabout extensively.
7. What happens now after Swallow Roundabout complaints?
A safety audit of the changes was carried out by independent experts in March.
This highlighted several issues, including the road markings, which experts said were “confusing” and could lead to crashes.
Springfield says it is still considering the details of this audit before any potential changes are made.
The developer said: “There is a strict process that needs to be adhered to, and involves multiple organisations, so it is difficult for us to predict timescales as to when we can expect the outcome of this audit.”
Several potential solutions have been floated to improve the situation at the Swallow Roundabout.
These range from adjusting the phasing of the lights and changing the road markings, to more drastic measures like a Dundee bypass.
The Courier has been told by various agencies that traffic flows through the roundabout are being monitored in the meantime.
- Please let us know what Swallow Roundabout questions you would like answered
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