A COUNCIL election candidate today shot down a call by community campaigners for a single track road to be widened – declaring that it would become a ‘rat-run’.

David Wilson says that the proposal to turn Port Glasgow’s single track Dougliehill Road into a two-lane system would take too much traffic away from the town centre.

Community councillors argue that expanding the road will give residents an alternative route when the A8 is closed, such as at the time of the McKechnie Jess industrial unit fire last month.

But Conservative candidate Mr Wilson – pointing to a regeneration plan to breathe new life into the Port by creating a gateway spur from the trunk road – says that motorists would simply use it as a constant diversion.

In an echo of his party leader, Theresa May, in her rejection of a call for a second Scottish independence referendum, he said: “Now is not the time.”

Mr Wilson added: “When we are trying to encourage traffic into our town centre this would cause traffic to bypass it.

“A two-lane system will be used far more to avoid the traffic lights on the A8 and I fear that it will become a rat-run.”

Port Glasgow West Community Council chair, Anne Ross, says that there is a ‘long standing problem’ with the A8 which must be addressed.

She said: “Whenever there is a fire, flood or an accident there is gridlock.”

Community council secretary Tommy Rodger said: “We are asking for a two-lane road to be built along Kilmacolm Road, Dougliehill Road and out on to Dubbs Road.

“There is only one way in and one way out of Inverclyde. 

“If we widened this road it would relieve that pressure.”

Mr Wilson said of the community council’s Dougliehill Road widening proposal: “It wouldn’t long term solve the problems on the A8.

“There needs to be a balance.”