WORK on a long-awaited road safety revamp to address a notorious accident blackspot junction at Inverkip is now almost three YEARS overdue.

Anger is growing in the village over the lack of action to address the entry/exit from Main Street onto the A78, which has been the scene of several serious crashes over the years.

Redevelopment of the junction is tied into the long-awaited City Deal project to create a new village on the site of the former Inverkip Power Station.

But residents are becoming increasingly inpatient over the hold-ups which have delayed the project since 2018.

One of them, Dave Currie, 69, says the junction is 'disastrous' and poorly designed.

He told the Telegraph: "I am surprised that no-one has been killed.

"It's so dangerous."

Mr Currie said the priority for drivers travelling north east and wanting to turn right into Inverkip over oncoming drivers coming from Greenock wanting to turn left into the village is confusing as there is no indication that this is the case and relies on local knowledge.

He added: "An electrical junction box and street-lamp stand and growth on the bushes on the south side and to the west of the junction obscure vision when turning right out of the village."

Politicians and people in the village have been demanding action at the site for over a decade, including calls for a roundabout.

Mr Currie says he's written to Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan and had correspondence passed to cabinet secretary for transport Michael Matheson MSP.

He said: "The north east access/egress junction has for several years been the location of numerous accidents.

"Usually the cause of road accidents is down to human error but in the case of accidents at this junction, it is plainly obvious that the cause of the human error in most cases is down to the undeniably poor design of the road junction itself."

Mr Currie has told MSPs that a recently completed residential development will add to the risk.

He said: "Now that there are many more new houses nearing completion on Langhouse Road and many new residents who may be blissfully unaware of the dangers of the junction, I would predict many more accident are about to happen.

"The residents of Inverkip have been promised for years that this dreadful junction will be substantially altered but for years nothing has been done."

MSP Mr McMillan says he understands that the required work will not start until power station landowners Scottish Power give Inverclyde Council the go-ahead for the City Deal project.

He added: “There’s no doubt that the pandemic has further delayed this redevelopment, but work was initially set to begin in 2018 – and here we are almost in 2021 and no closer to a roundabout at this junction.

“I'd urge Scottish Power to prioritise these works, particularly as the Langhouse Road housing development draws to a close and more people move into the area, meaning an increase in traffic using the junction.

“Too many accidents have occurred in this area.

"No one else should have to get hurt for matters to be progressed.”

The government's trunk roads agency Transport Scotland were contacted by the Tele but they directed us to Inverclyde Council, despite the fact the local authority does not have responsibility for the A78.

A council spokesperson said: “We are not responsible for the day-to-day management of the trunk roads, including the A78, or for their long-term maintenance.

“We are developing plans through the City Deal initiative to unlock the potential of the former Inverkip Power Station site through a new commercial and residential development.

“Part of that is a proposal to upgrade the existing road network, including creating signalised junctions at Main Street and Harbourside.

“In the meantime, any immediate safety concerns must be raised with the trunk road operators, Transport Scotland, as they are directly responsible for the day-to-day management of the trunk roads network across Scotland including the A78."