BUILD THE BYPASS: Calls for Nairn bypass as survey reveals 'status quo is absurd'

Road safety, delays to emergency services and pollution were among the main concerns raised by respondents to an Inverness Courier survey over the need for a Nairn bypass.

Of more than 430 respondents who submitted their feedback between January 23 and January 26, an overwhelming 95 per cent said a bypass would improve life in Nairn and 94 per cent said their day-to-day lives are affected by the traffic in town and in the surrounding area.

A majority also said they felt unsafe (36 per cent) or somewhat unsafe (35 per cent) when using the A96 – with a minority saying they felt safe (5 per cent) or "somewhat safe" (6 per cent).

Personal experiences shared involved emergency responders, carers and support workers stuck in traffic when trying to reach their destinations and people taking more than 40 minutes to cross the town at peak times.

"I work for emergency services and Nairn is easily the largest barrier we have to smooth travel between locations in Moray/Grampian and Highland. Going through at peak times on blue lights is easily the riskiest part of the journey."

Many respondents also highlighted their concern for their children's safety and health – as well as their own.

"My children go to a primary school which is directly next to the A96, their playground and route to and from school is along the A96. The fumes and the dangers of the traffic is a constant worry. The status quo is absurd."

"I live by the A96 and have asthma. When there are long delays or road works that lead to queuing traffic (which is often) my breathing is severely affected."

Businesses of various sorts were also impacted by bottlenecks through the town.

This comes as demands for a faster delivery of the project have been voiced by local representatives and communities.

Last week, Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing met with transport minister Fiona Hyslop.

He said that although the meeting was positive, it is vital that the Scottish Government delivers a clear timetable for completion of the project, which he dubbed "the pensioner of SNP pledges".

He said: "I had the absolutely clear impression that Fiona Hyslop is determined to do her best for Nairn on the A96 and I am grateful for that, however I stressed that not only do we need to proceed to the next stage – which is the issue of the made orders, a critical stage that really commits the government to buying the land.

"What is critically important was that when the made orders are issued the Scottish Government clearly states a timetable for the remaining stages, in which they need to specify when it would go into procurement, when construction will start and when it will finish.

"This is a massive project but it's been promised by the SNP for 15 years.

"When it comes to political pledges, the one that the SNP made to dual the A96 is the pensioner of pledges – it's the oldest unfulfilled pledge that the SNP has got and therefore it's not enough just to make progress by going to the made orders which I hope will happen in the next couple of months."

Earlier this month, the First Minister said that an update on works on the A96 between Nairn and Inverness – including the Nairn bypass – is due to be presented in the first quarter of 2024.

The survey can be found here.

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