To: Transport Scotland/Bear Scotland
Install traffic lights on dangerous Breakish bridges
The 2 narrow bridges at Ashaig and Upper Breakish on the main A87 trunk road through the Isle of Skye,badly need upgraded,but are listed structures.
Whilst new trunk road width bridges with pavement would be the ultimate fix,it is safe to assume that budgets will not allow this to happen anytime soon.
At the moment, a simple painted chevron down either side of the road depicts a footpath,which itself is very dangerous,give way lines and signs tell drivers who has right of way.
Accidents on these 2 bridges happen far too often,more so in the busy summer season,almost weekly with visitors not seeing or understanding the different coloured paint in the road, or the signs.
Approaching the Ashaig bridge from the east is especially tricky due to very limited visibility beyond the bridge parapet.
The simple solution to these issues is to install permanent traffic lights with a pedestrian facility that stops traffic in both directions so that people can safely cross the bridges.
It seems that a fatality may have to happen on these bridge before the authorities do any more than piecemeal lines painted on the road.
Whilst new trunk road width bridges with pavement would be the ultimate fix,it is safe to assume that budgets will not allow this to happen anytime soon.
At the moment, a simple painted chevron down either side of the road depicts a footpath,which itself is very dangerous,give way lines and signs tell drivers who has right of way.
Accidents on these 2 bridges happen far too often,more so in the busy summer season,almost weekly with visitors not seeing or understanding the different coloured paint in the road, or the signs.
Approaching the Ashaig bridge from the east is especially tricky due to very limited visibility beyond the bridge parapet.
The simple solution to these issues is to install permanent traffic lights with a pedestrian facility that stops traffic in both directions so that people can safely cross the bridges.
It seems that a fatality may have to happen on these bridge before the authorities do any more than piecemeal lines painted on the road.
Why is this important?
The townships of Ashaig and Breakish have long campaigned for a footpath to make walking alongside the A87 safer, now that the footpath extends the full distance of approximately 2.5 miles, these bridges are now the last areas of risk to drivers and pedestrians.
The highest level of safety has to be applied here like elsewhere.
The highest level of safety has to be applied here like elsewhere.
