Traffic entering Lerwick too fast from old North Road, community councillor says

A LERWICK community councillor has suggested the speed limit between the A970 junction at the north exit of the town and the Hoofields area should be lowered to 40mph.

Gary Robinson said “traffic is entering the town far too fast” on that stretch of Ladies Drive, which drops from 60mph to 30mph with little warning.

He floated the 40mph idea at a meeting of Lerwick Community Council on Monday, suggesting it could lower to 30mph at the Marts junction.

The road joins onto the A970 at the top of three lanes at the north exit of Lerwick, and the 60mph limit drops to 30 as housing begins at the Hoofields junction.

The stretch includes a junction to the Staney Hill quarry.

Robinson suggested the issue is ever more important considering more houses are due to be built in the Staney Hill area in the future.

He added that red markings on the road at the 30mph change have been painted over.

Lerwick councillor Stephen Leask, who manages the Harbro branch at the Marts and is a self-proclaimed “expert” of the road, agreed and claimed it is not suited for 60mph driving anyway.

Fellow town councillor Amanda Hawick also highlighted it as an ongoing problem and one which has previously been raised by the community council.

“It’s turning into what seems to be a serious issue,” she warned.

Chairman Jim Anderson said the community council would write to the SIC to raise the matter again.

Robinson also said the piece of road at the junction to the Staney Hill quarry is currently in a “really horrendous state”.