Future measures that could potentially cut congestion and improve air quality on one of Dundee’s main routes are set to be discussed by councillors next week.
A number of options for Lochee Road including junction widening and improvements to active travel will come under the spotlight.
Mark Flynn convener of the city development committee said: “The traffic surveys and other associated work that has been carried out in Lochee Road around the feasibility of a Low Emission Zone have been used to inform the options that have been brought forward.
“But it is still very early days and it is vital is that we have evidence, including the impact on air quality, on which to base our ultimate decision to ensure that we achieve a better quality of life for residents, traders and visitors.
“The physical limitations we face on Lochee Road and surrounding streets when trying to reduce congestion are obvious, and while the options brought forward all appear sensible and pragmatic, we need to find out from SEPA how this form of improvement could potentially impact on air quality before going forward."
Recent traffic studies have shown that on average there are 22,000 vehicle movements on Lochee Road every day, with the Dudhope Terrace and Polepark Road junctions the primary congestion points.
The committee will be told that three options have been considered to resolve these issues – a £150,000 reconfiguration of the current road layout, a £5.6m road widening scheme at the two junctions to provide additional lane capacity and an £18.9m dual carriageway option between the Dudhope roundabout and Rankine Street.
Councillors will be asked to give the go-ahead for secondary air quality work to be carried out by SEPA to inform a future decision on the most effective option.
A Lochee Road corridor active freeway feasibility study is also underway and scheduled to be completed next year. It aims to identify a strategic route between Lochee and the City Centre that can accommodate segregated walking and cycling. The findings will be reported to the committee when the study is complete.
The city development committee meets on Monday (June 21).
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
