Thursday March 21st 2019
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Fresh pressure will be put on Midlothian Council to improve a fatal junction after neighbouring local authority, Scottish Borders Council, backed the plan.
Leadburn Junction, which lies between Penicuik and Peebles, has been the focus of several campaigns for improvements over the last 15 years; however, calls for a roundabout have so far been resisted by the local authority.
A motion due to be brought to a council meeting next week will call for action to be taken after councillors on neighbouring Scottish Borders Council supported a similar motion last month.
The motion by Conservative Councillor Andrew Hardie calls for officers to engage with Scottish Borders Council officers to bring forward plans to install a roundabout before summer recess.
The junction lies south of Penicuik at a spot where the A701, A703 and A6094 converge.
It is estimated around 11,000 vehicles use the junction every day, many travelling to and from the Borders.
Midlothian Council said that it reviewed accident hot spots each April to prioritise work in its area and the most recent report on Leadburn Junction said there had only been one serious injury crash and two less serious ones over a three-year period.
In 2010, a pensioner died in a two-vehicle smash at the junction, prompting calls for improvements.
The following year, a woman was left with spinal injuries after a four-car pile up at the junction.
However, the death of two people in a crash near the junction in 2016 were ruled by police not to have been connected to the road layout.
The local authority has introduced a series of improvements at the junction in recent years, including reducing the speed from 60mph to 40mph.
Responding to calls for improvements to the junction in January, a council spokesperson said:
“Midlothian Council will continue to monitor this junction and report any adverse changes, including any potential actions to elected members if required.”
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