‘Accelerating’ A9 dualling would not cut project time

Inverness: Transport Scotland recently stated that speeding up the A9 dualling project wouldn’t actually save any time. They’re worried that trying to rush things could mess with the revised completion date of 2035.

After a committee of MSPs asked for a faster timeline, Transport Scotland explained that any attempts to hasten upgrades might lead to more delays. They did mention they’d look into improving the Dalnaspidal Junction at Glen Garry, though.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop reassured everyone that the current schedule is solid and practical. Over the last decade, they’ve managed to upgrade about 11 miles of the A9, but there’s still a long way to go with 77 miles left to tackle in this £3 billion project stretching from Inverness to Perth.

Delays and rising costs have been a constant headache, with the project originally set to finish this year. Former transport secretary Mairi McAllan even announced a 10-year delay back in December 2023.

A report from the citizen participation and public petitions committee suggested speeding up certain sections, but Transport Scotland warned that changing the timetable could lead to uncertainty about costs and more disruption for drivers.

They’ve looked into whether some sections could be fast-tracked for safety reasons or if they could implement overlapping construction to speed things up. However, they found that the current schedule actually leads to an earlier completion than any rescheduling would.

The report did note that there might be a chance to bring forward the Dalnaspidal Junction section, which involves extending the dual carriageway by about 0.6 miles, from its 2025 completion date.

Meanwhile, the Tomatin to Moy stretch has been pushed back to 2028, with costs for that section now expected to hit £308 million, which is about £111 million more than they initially thought.

Hyslop mentioned that they’re making “real progress” and that a £5 million package of short-term safety measures will be rolled out by the end of March. She’s optimistic about the upcoming construction work and other projects in the pipeline.

However, SNP MSP Fergus Ewing, who’s been a strong advocate for the dualling project, found the report’s conclusions “deeply disappointing.” He criticized Transport Scotland for not engaging enough with industry experts during the report’s preparation, calling it a missed opportunity for collaboration.