Transport Scotland has rejected plans to speed up upgrades to the A9 motorway over concerns that it could disrupt the current timetable. The proposed £3bn dual carriageway project is set to extend from Inverness to Perth. About 77 miles still require improvement, with two sections, totalling 11 miles, having been completed over the past decade. Transport Scotland has suggested investigating the possibility of bringing forward construction work at the Dalnaspidal Junction in Glen Garry, north of Perth.
The citizen participation and public petitions committee presented a report in October advocating that certain parts of the A9 be dualled more quickly. Risks to the final cost, further disruption to motorists and delays may arise if the current timetable is revised, according to Transport Scotland. The present schedule is “robust and practical”, according to Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop. Mairi McAllan, former transport secretary, announced a 10-year delay to the proposals last December.
Transport Scotland’s investigation considered accelerating some sections on safety grounds, or where lengthy diversions could be instituted in the event of road closures. Overlapping construction was also considered, as was rescheduling the programme of work around the least safe parts of the road. However, current scheduling “achieves an earlier overall completion date than would be achieved were it to be rescheduled,” according to the published report.
Fergus Ewing, SNP MSP, criticised the report and its findings, saying it was “deeply disappointing” that “Transport Scotland failed to properly seek the views of industry.” Ewing, a long-standing advocate of the dualling project, questioned why the transport agency had not held a ‘market day’ to gain input from major contractors, adding: “It looks to me as if they failed to do this, despite the absolute necessity of working collaboratively with industry.
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