“Dangerous” M90 claims denied

Mar 15 2011 by Greg Christison, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

CLAIMS of inadequate gritting on a busy Perthshire trunk road during last week’s icy temperatures were refuted yesterday.

Disgruntled Glenfarg motorist Sandy McInnes contacted the PA to vent his fury over the “dangerous” conditions experienced whilst returning from a music event in Glasgow on Thursday night.

Unhappy Mr McInnes, who drove home via the Kincardine Bridge, said: “As soon as I entered Perth and Kinross territory the roads had not been salted despite a clear warning of frost and snow.

“The state of the roads, including the M90 at junction six and on its slip roads was very icy and dangerous.

“With plenty of warning all week about the weather, I would ask the authorities what went wrong. This is not the first time this situation has occurred.

“There was no sign of any salt lorries yet there are times they can be seen salting while it is raining!

“It would appear once a decision to salt or not has been taken, no one monitors the situation to update that decision.

“As we live in an area where you can get all seasons in one day, especially at this time of year, surely this needs revised.”

Denying they had failed to respond to warnings of adverse weather, a spokeswoman for Perth-based road maintenance body BEAR Scotland, who are responsible for looking after the country’s trunk roads, explained the road was treated on several occasions.

She said: “The M90 between Perth and Kinross was pre-treated with salt on Thursday between 3pm and 5.55pm, prior to temperatures falling below zero.

“The weather and road conditions were then monitored by our 24 hour winter control room.

“Heavy snowfall was reported at 10.40pm and snow ploughs, which were on standby, were deployed and a further salt treatment applied between 11pm and 12.40am. The M90 was then patrolled until 9am the next day.”

The PA reported last month that the same stretch experienced severe problems with snow and ice during the prolonged adverse weather conditions at the tail-end of January and beginning of February.