Calls continue for improvements to A7 corner near Hawick

Renewed calls are being made for improvements to a corner on the A7 near Hawick said to pose a danger to motorists.
Councillor Davie Paterson at the Dunk corner near Hawick.Councillor Davie Paterson at the Dunk corner near Hawick.
Councillor Davie Paterson at the Dunk corner near Hawick.

Residents have long lobbied, so far in vain, for improvements to the Edinburgh-Carlisle trunk road at the Dunk corner south of Hawick, hit by several landslips over the last 10 years.

And at Hawick Community Council’s meeting on Monday, fears were raised that surface water coming off the hill could cause an accident there.

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Firefighter and ex-community councillor Greg McLeod said: “That stretch is especially bad at this time of year when you get the run-off of the water and then the ice.

“Both my parents live in Newmill and my children regularly travel there. I fear something is going to happen.

“It has been talked about for months and months and nothing has been done.”

Community councillor Brian Bouglas added: “Now it’s icy, somebody is going to hit that wall and that will be it.

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“Everyone keeps talking about it and nothing is getting done. It’s frustrating.”

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson said he had written to infrastructure maintenance contractor Amey and previous managers of the trunk road at least a dozen times over the years about the state of the road there.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “We get promises from whoever is in power, but nothing ever happens.

“I agree with Mr McLeod that if something is not done quickly, there will be a fatality.”

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Hawick and Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer said: “It’s not right to say nothing has been done, but you are right in that the outcome we want hasn’t been achieved.

“We have asked for a 40mph limit there to help mitigate the problem.

“We have also asked them to look at the footpath.

“There’s a range of issues on the table that we absolutely need to address.”

A7 Action Group secretary Marjorie McCreadie said she is hoping to get an update on calls for works at the corner at the organisation’s next meeting, due to be attended by representatives of Transport Scotland and Amey, on Monday, February 18.

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The community council agreed to write to Scottish Government transport minister Michael Matheson demanding improvements at the Dunk.

Mrs McCreadie said that the group had written to him about the issue in July and had yet to receive a response.

Hawick and Hermitage councillor George Turnbull added: “We get passed from pillar to post. It’s about time we get this done once and for all.”