Edinburgh Sheriffhall roundabout: Long-delayed project 'in pipeline' but still no date for work to start
The Scottish Government has been told to "stop dragging their feet" over the long-delayed plan for a flyover at Edinburgh's Sheriffhall roundabout.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison assured Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs in the Scottish Parliament that the project was included in the "infrastructure delivery pipeline" published alongside the government's budget on Tuesday.
But she was unable to give him any indication of when work might start.
Mr Briggs said he had sought updates from several different ministers and asked Ms Robison for an assurance that a decision would be taken on the project before the elections in May.
He said Sheriffhall, on the A720 City Bypass, had been flagged as a priority in the 2008 Strategic Transport Projects Review; 10 years later, the Scottish Government committed £120m through the Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland City Regional Deal; ground investigations took place that year and draft road orders were published in 2019.
He claimed Green-led lobbying then put the project on hold. He said ministers had spent almost £6 million, but only on consultation.
Ms Robison told him: “The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to the City Region Deal, which includes up to £120 million for the grade separation at Sheriffhall roundabout. As I said, that project is also included in the infrastructure delivery pipeline.
“I assure him that the financial risk relating to costs over and above that figure lies entirely with the Scottish ministers and not with city region deal partners. I also assure him that the Scottish spending review includes funding to continue to make progress in delivering improvements to the Sheriffhall roundabout.”
Mr Briggs said Lothian had the fastest growing population in Scotland, and would account for 84 per cent of Scotland’s predicted population growth over the period to 2033. Several new housing developments outside Edinburgh were also dependent on Sheriffhall, the bypass, and surrounding trunk roads.
He continued: “It is disappointing that I have spent nearly a decade chasing the SNP government on this key infrastructure project, but they still cannot give the people of the Lothians a commitment to deliver it.
“Sheriffhall has been a transport priority for nearly 20 years, and funding has been in place for nearly 10. Meanwhile, congestion gets worse, and the region watches as billions of pounds of productivity goes up in smoke.
“It is vital that we see Ministers stop dragging their feet and instead start delivering for commuters and businesses across Lothian and the Southeast of Scotland.
“It is high time that this SNP Government took responsibility and showed some leadership to deliver the much-needed upgrade to Sheriffhall junction.”