A bird’s eye look at Arbroath’s £13 million pound active travel scheme has been viewed just a couple of hundred times in nearly 18 months.
The Place for Everyone project to encourage more cycling and walking is approaching a key stage.
Final costs and designs are due for release within weeks.
Angus Council plan to bring elected members bang up to date with progress after the summer break.
It’s also likely to see the public given their first look at finalised plans for changes to the A92 dual carriageway running through the heart of the town.
Dedicated cycle lanes, public seating and wildflower planting feature in the ambitious project.
Active travel supporters say it will be transformational and bridge the Burnside Drive divide between the town centre and West Port.
But critics claim it could lead to traffic chaos on the busy A92.
There was also criticism over the public consultation on the plan.
Video overview
It’s now emerged a flythrough showing how the changes might look has had only a couple of hundred views since being put on YouTube last year.
Design consultants Arcadis produced it as part of a report to Angus Council in February 2022.
The six-and-a-half minute video focuses on plans for key locations including Ladyloan, Brothock Bridge and Guthrie Port.
A council spokesperson said: “The flythrough video was prepared earlier in the project to assist with the consultation process and understanding of the project’s proposals.
“While the principles remain the same in terms of the change to the road layout and the social, economic and environmental objectives, there have been some design changes at key locations.
“We plan to share the updated designs and further information on the project next month ahead of a report to committee.
“We are continuing to progress the project and expect to be in a position to report on the final designs and estimated costs of the project next month.”
In April, The Courier revealed leaked designs for Brothock Bridge and Guthrie Port.
They show how seating, cycleways and traffic changes could look in the new layout.
Pioneering project
In 2019, the town landed £9m of Sustrans cash for the scheme – the first of its kind in Scotland.
However, the council must finance the remainder and is battling a £60m budget shortfall over the next three years.
A month-long trial took place in 2021.
Part of the A92 was coned off for cyclists to show how the scheme might operate.
Construction work was due to take place in 2023/24.
But the council re-profiled the project in the face of delays to the scheme and budgetary pressures.
