PLANS for a £120 million redevelopment of a roundabout on the Edinburgh city bypass will increase congestion and should be stopped, the Scottish Greens have claimed.

The party has launched a campaign opposing the proposed flyover at the Sheriffhall roundabout, arguing money should be spent on bus lanes and public transport, with funded free bus travel for young people.

The junction, in south-east Edinburgh on the city bypass, has been earmarked for redevelopment since 2013.

Despite assurances from the Transport Secretary that the development would cut journey times, the Greens’ co-leader Alison Johnstone has said the proposal will increase the amount of traffic.

READ MORE: Alison Johnstone: Our transport policies are a road to nowhere

The Lothians MSP said: “The council estimates that congestion costs Edinburgh £225m a year, yet they and the Scottish Government insist on repeating the same failed mistakes of the past.

“The proposal to turn Sheriffhall roundabout into a spaghetti junction isn’t an upgrade, it’s a step backwards, especially when we now know 60,000 cars are coming into the city every morning.”

With the SNP relying on Scottish Green votes to pass the budget since losing their parliamentary majority in 2016, co-leader Patrick Harvie has put transport at the heart of his party’s demands.

In a letter to Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, Harvie said that to win Green MSPs’ support the budget “must turn the rhetoric of a ‘climate emergency’ into a reality by increasing investment in the low-carbon economy”.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Sheriffhall roundabout is a well-known bottleneck.

“The scheme will see a new flyover separating local traffic from the strategic traffic on the bypass and will allow the strategic traffic to flow freely, improving road safety and journey times.”