Scotland’s main transport body is being urged to forge better relations with residents affected by the closure of junctions off the A9 Perth to Inverness road.
As previously revealed in The Courier, Transport Scotland is proposing to close the majority of private access tracks as part of the £3 billion dualling of the road with a possible impact on property values in the surrounding area.
Residents of Dowally and Kindallachan have expressed concern at the damage the move may cause to the two Perthshire villages.
They have had a meeting with Scottish Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser.
He told The Courier: “Residents in Kindallachan are rightfully concerned at the impact to their community of the A9 dualling project.
“It is vital that Transport Scotland get in touch with people in Kindallachan and explain to them what is on the table and what input they can add to the dualling process.
“With a project of this scale, Transport Scotland must communicate and consult with affected residents and I will be meeting with them in July to air the concerns of those affected.”
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said the Scottish Government’s commitment to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness is “unwavering”.
“As part of the dualling programme, we want to make the A9 safer with proposals to improve access to and from the road,” he said.
“We are currently holding public exhibitions in venues along the A9 which are providing us with the opportunity to discuss the dualling programme with local communities in more detail and identify any local issues.”
He added: “We have had useful discussions with landowners along the route as part of these exhibitions, and specific access arrangements will be a matter for consideration during the next phase of the design work.
“This direct engagement will continue as we further develop the programme.
“There is a lot of design and assessment work that still needs to be done before we can finalise the scheme alignment but sharing these route options now will ensure that any feedback is captured early.”