Shetland councillor Allison Duncan presses for 50mph limit on A970 at Levenwick
Two recent crashes on the “death trap” blind summit of a main road have reinvigorated calls for improvements and a reduction to the speed limit.
The SIC’s community safety and resilience board chairman Allison Duncan said the A970 at Levenwick should be widened the “sooner the better”.
Mr Duncan, who has been a vocal advocate for the improving that stretch of road, along with his fellow Shetland South councillors, said he would “never give in” until that work had been done.
He has previously described the section of road as “death trap”.
Mr Dunbcan has also urged Dunrossness Community Council to revisit its recent decision not to reduce the speed limit in that area to 50mphs.
His comments follow two crashes on the notorious stretch of road on Thursday morning.
The first happened in the early hours and involved a 4x4 which came off the road, crashed into the verge and left debris strewn across the carriageway.
Then at around 7.30am a police officer, who was on duty investigating the scene of the first incident, was hit by a car, knocked over the embankment and fell around 30ft.
She was taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick while the 19-year-old driver was arrested.
Mr Duncan has extended the community safety and resilience board’s best regards to the police officer and wished her a speedy recovery.
But he has also warned that more crashes will happen in that area unless urgent improvements are made as soon as possible.
He said there had been four tragic deaths at that site since the Second World War and he was desperate to prevent any more lives being lost.
Improvements to the Levenwick had once been the SIC’s number one priority for infrastructure upgrades, but it was superseded by the Cullivoe road in Yell.
While Mr Duncan has accepted the need for the Cullivoe Road to take precedence, on economic grounds, he said he hoped work in Levenwick road could begin as soon as Cullivoe is completed.
There have been various schemes put forward over the years.
Two years ago, members discussed scaling back the work so that it could happen quicker and at least cost.
A report to members noted that developments in roadside safety barrier designs had opened up the possibility to "value engineer" the project.
Rather than spending almost £5m on widening a large section of the road, the council instead considered whether to focus just on the blind summit, which has been the main safety concern.
Mr Duncan said he understood discussions had begun with the crofters who own the land around the road so that widening and realignment can take place.
He said safety must be the “number one priority” for drivers and other road users.
“I would like to add that all my fellow South Mainland councillors, past and present, have been very supportive of getting that road refurbished.,
“As long as I’m a councillor I will continue to ask questions and push for improvements.
“I will never give in.”