The first of twelve schemes in the £3bn A9 dualling programme has been brought forward and a contract worth around £50m put to the market, Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown announced today.
Transport Scotland said that anticipated savings from the Queensferry Crossing programme, along with the progress of the statutory order making process for the Kincraig to Dalraddy scheme, has enabled work on the first of 12 major dualling schemes on the A9 to start six months early.
Keith Brown said: “The Scottish Government’s track record in delivering transport infrastructure schemes speaks for itself, and I want to take the record forward into our most ambitious programme of work to date. Dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness is a huge challenge – some 80 miles of upgraded road, but we are determined to make early wins.
“As the Queensferry Crossing rises out of the Forth estuary, we are anticipating more savings being realised next year from the project’s contingencies, allowing us to unlock investment for the A9 dualling scheme now.
“With that investment identified and the progress in making statutory orders for the five mile long Kincraig-Dalraddy scheme, I have given the go-ahead to get procurement underway.
“The process to select a contractor begins today with the publication of a contract notice worth around £50m, allowing us to be in a position to award the contract and put the first spade in the ground next summer, around six months earlier than originally timetabled.
“I have always said that we will bring forward the start of construction on the A9 where we can, and today we are delivering on that promise. In addition, only last week we awarded the second of three major design contracts, together worth in total up to £180m, to get more essential preparatory work under way.
“Short term programmes of work to address safety issues on the A9 are continuing with the installation of average speed cameras between Perth and Inverness nearing completion, with their implementation on course for October.
“I am determined to drive forward improvements to Scotland’s longest and arguably most important trunk road, and am pressing everyone working on the A9 – both short and long term programmes, to get on and deliver early benefits to users of the road as soon as is practicably possible.”
