TWEEDDALE’S MP has renewed calls to rename a notorious stretch of the A72 after a campaigner who spent decades fighting to improve it.

Dirtpot Corner, near Cardrona, fully reopened this week following a £2.2 million overhaul.

And David Mundell says the accident blackspot should be renamed in memory of Walkerburn resident Mollie McIntosh who died earlier this year.

The Scottish Secretary told us: “I would like to congratulate all those who worked on the project and also the local campaigners who pressed for improvements to make this stretch of road safer over many years. I rather liked the idea put forward that the once notorious stretch should now be renamed Mollie’s Corner.

“It would be in memory of Mollie McIntosh of Walkerburn, who sadly died close to her 100th birthday in the spring, and amongst a packed lifetime of community work was a tireless road safety campaigner, including pressing for Dirtpot Corner upgrading.”

As previously reported, the idea was first proposed by former Tweeddale councillor Graham Garvie back in April.

Work has been taking place at Dirtpot Corner for the past 11 months. During that time the road was widened three meters and resurfaced, while new safety fencing was installed. And Tweeddale East councillors Stuart Bell (SNP), Shona Haslam (Cons) and Robin Tatler (Ind) are delighted with the results.

In a joint statement they said: “The local community and councillors have all called for action at Dirtpot Corner for a number of years, and we are delighted this improvement scheme has now been completed.

“The corner will be significantly better for road users to navigate, and SBc Contracts and SBC’s engineering design team deserve huge credit for their efforts to minimise the impact on motorists and the local environment, and for the quality of their work.

“We again thank the local community for their understanding throughout the project and hope they recognise the benefit of the new Dirtpot Corner.”

However SBC leader Councillor Haslam told the Peeblesshire News this week that the council had other ideas in mind to remember Mollie.

She said: “We have been looking at a number of ideas to commemorate Mollie’s life.

“One of the things we will be doing is naming a room in the Walkerburn Public Hall after her.”