Chris Kane Meets with Local Campaigner to Demand Action on Teith Bridge

Chris has reiterated his call for road safety action on the Teith Bridge. He met with Fiona Morton, a local campaigner to see first-hand the safety issues Deanston residents face on a daily basis.

The communities of Deanston and Doune are intrinsically linked, with the Teith Bridge being the only suitable pedestrian crossing for them to access local shops, the GP surgery, Post Office and Public Library, all of which are located in Doune.

Residents believe the bridge is a growing danger, with traffic levels upwards of 8000 vehicles every day, 7% of which are HGVs.

Speaking of the visit, Chris commented: “Walking across the bridge, I saw first-hand the danger pedestrians face just getting to the shop every morning. It is completely inaccessible; those with wheelchairs or parents with prams are unable to cross the bridge safely.”

Fiona Morton commented: “The bridge poses an unnecessary and increasing danger to members of the community.  It is acting as a physical barrier between the villages of Doune and Deanston; the opposite of what a bridge is designed to do.”

Traffic Scotland have previously responded to the Chris’ calls for a solution, stating that widening the bridge would be challenging due to the requirements of design standards and conservation restrictions on the listed structure. They would need to limit spaces for vehicles instead, in order “to assess the impacts of this, a vehicular traffic modelling exercise is currently ongoing considering the viability and merits of potentially introducing permanent traffic signals”. 

The letter went on to say, “The exercise is due for completion in February 2025. Further meetings are planned once the traffic modelling is completed to discuss what improvements can be made within the existing constraints.” 

As of the end of March, Chris has still not received an update from them. 

Chris added: “The Scottish Government and Transport Scottish need to stop dragging their feet on this issue.  I want to make it very clear, the A84 and the Teith Bridge are Traffic Scotland’s responsibility, and it is time for them to work with Stirling Council rather than against them to find a solution for the residents of Deanston and Doune.”

Find out more by watching the video of Chris’ visit below.