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Monument Halts By-pass

AN ANCIENT monument no-one can see has halted plans to build an A75 by-pass at Dunragit. Now there are fears that people living in the village will never be free of the heavy ferry traffic that uses the road 24 hours a day.

Historic Scotland has objected to plans to drive the by-pass through a pre-historic site claimed to be "one of only a very few in the British Isles", even through the main Stranraer to Ayr rail line goes through the middle.

The Scottish Executive have already amended their by-pass plans for the village. Any upgrade of the road will consist of an overbridge across the railway line to replace Challoch Bridge and the straightening of the bends between the new bridge and the start of the Glenluce by-pass.

Local councillor Fred Murray is angry at the situation. "Dunragit will never be done", he said.

And he claimed that the new bridge would increase the amount of heavy traffic going through the village.

"At the moment some haulage companies instruct their drivers not to go under Challoch Bridge so they use the other route down Station Road.

"Once the new bridge is opened, everything will use the existing A75 road through the village".

Mr Murray said the fact the village was not going to be by-passed was not yet public knowledge and he was sure the local would be up in arms, especially those whose homes ran alongside the road and would would have to put up with the noise from the increased amount of traffic.