Full Breakdown
Google Maps Glitch Sends A9 Traffic onto Narrow U163 Road
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Glitch Diverts A9 Traffic onto U163
A technical error on Google Maps mistakenly marked the A9 between Dunkeld and Pitlochry as closed, prompting the navigation service to route drivers onto the single-track U163 road that runs through the Perthshire villages of Ballinluig, Tulliemet and Guay. The problem was first noticed on a Friday and persisted through the weekend, causing a mix of campervans, a large coach, cars with trailers and a boat-towing vehicle to travel the narrow, winding route that lacks designated passing places.
Impact on Local Communities
Residents reported severe congestion and safety concerns. Joanne Boyne, a Guay resident, described vehicles travelling in both directions at speeds she deemed “unbelievable,” with traffic sometimes reaching 40 mph on a road unsuitable for such velocity. The bottleneck turned the U163 into bumper-to-bumper traffic, leaving no room for emergency vehicles. Boyne said the diversion forced a normally 10-minute trip to her parents’ house in Tulliemet to take almost 45 minutes and prevented her from reaching work at 07:50 on Monday. The prolonged blockage also left some locals unable to leave their homes for routine activities.
Official Responses
Transport Scotland posted on X that Google Maps had falsely reported the A9 as closed and was recommending an “inconvenient alternate route” while the trunk road remained open. A Google spokesperson later said: “We've investigated a technical issue that temporarily showed inaccurate road closures on the map.” — Google spokesperson The company added that the inaccurate closures had been removed after investigation.
Campaign Group Criticism
Laura Hansler of the A9 Dual Action campaign group said the glitch was fixed only after a group member contacted Google in London. She noted that similar errors have occurred before, including incorrect speed-limit displays, and warned that drivers rely on sat-nav guidance to avoid collisions and roadworks.