Dualling A9 ‘remains a priority for myself and this Government’, says First Minister

Dualling the A9 “remains a priority for myself and this Government”, the First Minister has said.

John Swinney was speaking ahead of a visit to see work to dual a section of road between Tomatin and Moy, which is one of 11 sections of road being upgraded.

During the visit Mr Swinney is due to meet staff from construction firm Balfour Beatty and Transport Scotland who are leading the work on the Tomatin-Moy stretch.

Mr Swinney said: “The A9 is one of the main arteries through Scotland, providing a vital transport link for families, communities, businesses, tourists and more.

“Dualling the A9 is a priority for my Government and with our rolling programme of continuous construction in the corridor, backed by £3.9 billion of Scottish Government investment, opportunities are being created for local businesses and a stream of job and training prospects for the people and communities served by this vital route.

“As momentum builds and construction ramps up at both the north and south ends of the corridor, I’m looking forward to seeing the visible, tangible progress being made on the longest road in Scotland.

“The continued progress should give the businesses and residents of the Highlands confidence that realising the benefits of dualling the A9 remains a priority for myself and this Government.”

The project to dual the whole of the A9 between Perth and Inverness will see 83 miles of road converted from single to dual carriageway, at a cost of £3.97 billion, based on April 2025 prices.

The project was announced in 2011 and was originally slated to be finished by 2025, but is now expected to take until 2035.

During his visit Mr Swinney will also be shown progress on the construction of the new Moy rail bridge over the Highland Main Line.

The new bridge will replace the existing 1884 structure, which the Government said will showcase Scotland’s capability in delivering modern, integrated road and rail infrastructure.