A9 dualling
Transport Scotland plans to upgrade this vital part of the A9 between Perth and Inverness to dual carriageway by 2025.
The A9 is the longest trunk road in Scotland and this £3 billion project involves the challenging upgrade of 80 miles of single carriageway along the route between the cities of Perth and Inverness.
In December 2011, the Scottish Government published its Infrastructure and Investment Plan (IIP), which details plans for up to £60 billion of spending until 2030.
The IIP sets out that the A9 between Perth and Inverness will be dualled by 2025, with a view to completing dualling of the A96, and thus, the dualled road network between all Scottish cities by 2030.
Dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness will provide the following benefits and opportunities:
- economic growth
- improved road safety
- improved journey times and reliability
- improved access to the tourist and recreation sites
- improved links to pedestrian, cycling and public transport facilities
Finance Secretary John Swinney saw the start of ground investigation work on the A9 Dualling programme on Friday 22 March 2013. Mr Swinney was at Bankfoot in Perthshire where the vital ground works will help to progress the section between Luncarty and Pass of Birnam, where construction is due to get underway in 2017.
Mr Swinney said:
“This is a momentous moment as ground works get underway on this 80 mile upgrade. This will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history and I am delighted that the Scottish Government is delivering on this commitment to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025. As a clear signal of that commitment, we are hitting the ground running by starting the important ground investigations for one of the first sections to be dualled.
“This will give us the information we need to progress the draft Orders next year so that we can start construction in 2017.
Infrastructure investment like the A9 dualling programme is fundamental to delivering sustainable economic growth, supporting jobs and enabling businesses to grow. The programme is expected to generate hundreds of jobs as it moves from design, procurement and then to construction.
“Infrastructure investment like the A9 dualling programme is fundamental to delivering sustainable economic growth, supporting jobs and enabling businesses to grow. The programme is expected to generate hundreds of jobs as it moves from design, procurement and then to construction.
“The £3 billion complex and challenging programme will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history. The sheer scale of it means that it will require in depth planning and design to ensure that we deliver the right project at the right price and keep impacts on communities, business and the environment to the absolute minimum.
“So we are moving ahead with our plans which will bring benefits for local communities, road users and businesses including improved road safety and journey times and reduced times for businesses transporting goods and services.
