Edinburgh Dalmahoy Junction: Safety upgrade hope for dangerous junction after 40 years of accidents

Hopes of a full upgrade to a dangerous Edinburgh junction have risen after councillors agreed to rethink plans for cut-price measures at the accident spot.
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Residents have campaigned for 35 years for improvements at the Dalmahoy junction and, in 2015 a council report, said a fully-signalised junction was the only practical option to increase safety.

But the project was delayed, costs increased and in November last year the transport committee approved a reduced scheme for a signalised pedestrian crossing rather than a full upgrade.

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Now the committee has called for a new report, including up-to-date costs, with a view to implementing a fully-signalised junction.

Conservative transport spokesperson Marie-Clair Munro said: "A pedestrian crossing on its own is unlikely to solve the overall problem with all types of road traffic collisions at the Dalmahoy junction, especially with its blindspot coming out of the Dalmahoy estate. We have a duty to make sure it's safe, not only for pedestrians but for all road users.”

She said there had been another serious collision at the junction just the other day, adding to a long list of accidents over 40 years or more.

And she continued: “It's imperative we listen to local residents. They all want a fully signalised junction which will deal with all the safety aspects. What they don’t want is a pedestrian crossing.”

The junction on the A71 has the Dalmahoy Hotel entrance on the left and Dalmahoy Road on the right.  Picture: Google Streetview.The junction on the A71 has the Dalmahoy Hotel entrance on the left and Dalmahoy Road on the right.  Picture: Google Streetview.
The junction on the A71 has the Dalmahoy Hotel entrance on the left and Dalmahoy Road on the right. Picture: Google Streetview.
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The committee in November heard a fully-signalised junction would cost £962,000 compared with £625,000 for the proposed crossing scheme.

Cllr Munro said: “If large sums of money are going to be spent isn’t it better to get it right first time? There is a possibility a pedestrian crossing would make it even more dangerous to users of the junction rather than making it safer.”

Pentland Hills Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson said he had worked with Tory colleague Graeme Bruce and residents on trying to secure a better solution. He said: “The Dalmahoy junction is dangerous and has been for many, many years. There have been far too many incidents, near misses, serious injuries and unfortunately fatalities, for this problem junction to be ignored any longer.“The current proposal for a pedestrian crossing is just not fit for purpose. The local community are uncomfortable what has been proposed – it doesn’t solve the problems we're seeing at this junction.”

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