Scottish Government criticised for not publishing timetable for Dumfries and Galloway road improvement work

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The Scottish Government has been criticised for not publishing details of when work will begin on improving the A75. The second version of the strategic transport projects review identified the need to improve the road, including bypassing Crocketford and Springholm, when it was published in December.

Earlier this year, Scotland’s then-Transport Secretary Michael Matheson told South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth that the intention was to publish a delivery plan in the spring.

But with autumn looming, the document has still to be revealed. Labour MSP Mr Smyth said: “STPR2 was years late in being published and communities in the south west are still waiting to hear exactly when the very limited planned projects to improve the A75 and A77 will be delivered, despite promise after promise by both the Scottish and UK Governments. “Communities simply won’t believe they will get any respite until we see a meaningful timescale for when work on projects are going to be started. “The fact the government keeps stalling raises fears they are either not serious about delivering improvements, or they are kicking those plans even further into the long grass. “SPTR2 was a long awaited disappointment which proposed very little in the way of meaningful investment for the A75 and A77.

However, the fact that years after this review was originally supposed to have reported, we still don’t have a timescale for schemes such as the Crocketford and Springholm bypasses really is unacceptable.” Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Just Transition Sarah Boyack recently visited Crocketford with Mr Smyth.