Motoring in Moray: Accident black spot on Forres to Grantown road
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Locals are claiming that the £80,000 just spent on altering a road junction won't make an accident black spot any safer.
The junction overlooks a sharp bend beside Edinkillie Church which is on the A940 route between Forres and Grantown.
Particularly icy conditions on January 6 saw no fewer than four cars spin off the road during the course of a single day.
Moray Council has since altered the junction which connects a side road from the east to the A940
Residents and Moray's MP say the actual problem lies with traffic coming south from the direction of Forres.
David Swan, who lives nearby, said: "It's a really sharp bend and, as it stands, motorists aren't been given enough warning.
"Yes, there are signs, but they're too close at the moment. They need to be placed a further 150 yards away from the bend so that drivers have more chance to react."
The road is downhill and follows a stretch of several miles where motorists find it difficult to pass each other.
The upshot is a tendency for increased speeds.
Compounding the problem is the issue of water running sideways across the road and turning into black ice during cold spells.
Douglas Ross, Moray's MP, states he has been raising concerns for the past two years.
He said: "The local constituents who have contacted me believe the cause of the road collisions is a blocked drain.
"This allows water to seep over the carriageway and freeze during inclement weather.
"Meanwhile, drivers heading south don’t realise there's a sharp downhill right hand bend until it's too late.
"And this is made worse because the advance warning signs are situated too close to the corner.
"The result is they brake, skid and collide with a stone dyke."
Mr Ross added: "The local authority went onto claim that this junction was partly to blame for a number of road collisions at this location every winter.
"But as a result of a Freedom of Information request I established that the actual junction played no part in any of the road collisions referred to."
A spokesperson for the local authority said: "Moray Council is carrying out a scheme to improve road safety near Edinkillie Church.
"The works will improve the location of road signage, reduce sources of loose debris which can form a hazard, and improve the drainage to stop water running across the road and freezing in bad weather, all of which will contribute to safer road conditions.
"The scheme has been funded through the Scottish Government’s Road Safety Improvement Fund."
