Fife Council give update on roadworks project in Dunfermline

Traffic lights have been installed on the roundabout, roads have been resurfaced and improvements made at the Elgin Street and Moodie Street junction since the controversial £650,000 project began on June 16. 

It proved so unpopular, with motorists stuck in long queues and businesses suffering as customers avoided the area, that council roads bosses were forced to change the programme and lift the traffic restrictions long before they were due.

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Now work has started making the new signals live. Starting this week the old traffic lights are being removed on the junction between Elgin Street and Moodie Street and the new signals installed.

The current four-way temporary traffic lights will remain in place whilst this work is completed.

The roadworks at Bothwell Gardens in Dunfermline led to long queues of traffic and a great deal of frustration. (Image: David Wardle)

A council statement added: "Next week, at both locations, we’ll be getting the new traffic lights ready and working.

"Specialist signal engineers will supervise the traffic signals during peak times - making sure the roundabout flows as expected.

"As well as improving traffic flow these improvements are also improving access for pedestrians as more crossings have been installed."

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Ahead of the project getting underway in June, signs were installed at the roundabout stating that the roadworks would last for 20 weeks.

It was then clarified as 16 weeks of works, which would have taken us into October, before the council managed to get the contractor to bring that down to 10 weeks. 

The "new approach" saw traffic cones and temporary traffic lights removed in mid-July, with the work taking place overnight instead.

Confirming progress, the council's service manager for roads and lighting, Mark Dewar, said: "We’re now at the end of these roadworks and we want to thank road users for their patience and cooperation during this time.

"We understand how disruptive these roadworks have been. Through close working with the contractor we’ve reduced the duration of the works from 16 weeks to 10 weeks.”

The council statement added: "These road improvements are necessary to allow new development around the city.

"The planned growth in Dunfermline, which includes 8,000 new homes, four new primary schools and development of employment land in the coming years, means we need to act now to ensure future traffic can continue to move freely around the city."