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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Jackie Grant

Dumfriesshire road safety campaigners step up improvement bid after two more accidents

Road safety campaigners are stepping up their fight for improvements after another two accidents on the B740.

An HGV went off the side of the road near Sanquhar on Friday morning.

And a driver was taken to hospital yesterday following another incident on the route that connects Upper Nithsdale to the M74.

Local resident Campbell Seaton, who started up the Facebook group – B740 dangerous road – in a bid to warn drivers of the dangers of travelling on it, wrote on Friday: “Luckily, nobody was seriously hurt, just shaken.

“The HGV went off the road just feet away from my house. The council needs to sort this issue now.”

He added an update yesterday, writing: “Another vehicle off the road this morning. Road is frozen in places due to surface water freezing and no gritting last night.

Campbell Seaton beside the damaged B740 two miles outside of Sanquhar (Jim McEwan)

“Car went off the road and through a fence. Passer-by helped them, one needed to go to hospital. Really scary sight. Luckily nobody is hurt. But it is only a matter of time.”

Campaigners previously claimed the state of the B740 shows a “whole new level of neglect” by Dumfries and Galloway Council.

They are convinced that after years of complaints, the treacherous route will be left unmaintained until a fatal accident occurs.

Mr Seaton said in February: “I’m aware the council has limited funds but are they waiting for someone to die? I’ve never seen anything like it. This is a whole new level of neglect.

“The road is littered with massive potholes, temporary traffic lights, concrete and iron railings long destroyed and not replaced, long stretches without verge or embankments and recent flooding and landslides have made it lethal.

“Dumfries and Galloway Council and its councillors should hang their heads in shame at letting it get to this state.”

Afterwards, emergency repair work was carried out.

Following Friday’s accident, a council spokesman said several repairs had been carried out on the route in recent months but not to the damaged verge where the incident took place.

He said drainage works for the route were programmed to start yesterday “where the team will also address the damage to the verge at this location following the most recent incident”.

But Mr Seaton insists that doesn’t go far enough. He said: “Again it appears that any repairs and improvements will be nothing more than the most essential, and that the road will continue to be dangerous. But at least there is an awareness.”

Others say HGVs should be “banned from using the road” while another man posted on the B740 Facebook page: “Some signage and essential repairs are needed now. The traffic cones and current measures are just an unfunny joke.

“The time has come to stop HGVs using the road.”

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