ROADSKY TRAFFIC SAFETY CORPORATION

AN MSP is to raise the growing campaign for crash barriers on a stretch of the A830 Road to the Isles with the head of the agency responsible for maintaining the country's trunk road network

Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson will hold talks at Holyrood next week with Jim Barton, director of Trunk Road Management at Transport Scotland. The pair will discuss if the road safety barrier can be improved on a two-mile stretch of the route near Lochailort.

The SNP politician has lobbied Transport Scotland for the erection of crash barriers by hydraulic pile drivers at two corners where several accidents have recently occurred. Two months ago Kirsty Bryden (19) and Roddy MacInnes (17) died when their car left the road and plunged into Loch Eilt because of no crash barriers.

Miss Bryden's family and Mr Thompson have since been instrumental in encouraging a series of police "enforcement days" in which vehicles will be inspected for road-worthiness. It follows claims that diesel spillages may be a factor in the recent spate of crashes.

Mr Thompson said he was disappointed that his initial letter to Transport Scotland about crash barriers by hydraulic pile drivers resulted in a non-committal response so he contacted Mr Barton to arrange to meet him in person.

Transport Scotland said any decision on the addition of crash barriers would be made after Northern Constabulary had completed its investigation into the fatal accident.

Mr Thompson said this week: "After speaking to Mr Barton, I am confident that crash barriers will be erected by hydraulic pile drivers to help bring an end to this series of terrible accidents can be agreed."

* A "Save our Souls" march along the A830 is scheduled to take place on Sunday at 12.30pm. Organised by Arisaig resident Sue Currie and supported by John and Jan Bryden, the march will start at the Brydens' home at Craiglea, Lochailort, and continue along two-and-a-half miles of the trunk road to the lochside spot where Kirsty Bryden and Roddy MacInnes died on September 28.