Travel delay fears over A9 road closure

Motorists have been warned that they could face hefty delays as a chunk of the main road between Perth and Dunkeld is shut for three consecutive nights as part of the work to turn the route into a dual carriageway.

MSP Keith Brown with a map of the A9 dualling project

Transport Scotland told road users to allow extra time for their journey as ten miles of the A9 north of Perth between Luncarty and Dunkeld, is closed overnight for three consecutive nights from Monday.

The A9 will be closed in both directions between the Luncarty Junction and the A923 Dunkeld Junction, from 8.30pm to 6am each night.

The closures are required to install concrete bridge beams which will form the new Stanley/Tullybelton Junction overbridge on the route. Signed diversion routes will be in place on approach to the closure area, via the A85 for northbound traffic and via the A923 Dunkeld Junction for southbound traffic.

The £6 billion dualling of the A9 is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history. The Luncarty to Pass of Birnam section encompasses 9.5km of the A9 and will be widened as part of the dualling programme, in a bid to improve journey times and safety on the route.

Access to the communities of Luncarty, Bankfoot and Stanley will be maintained via the local road network for the duration of the three overnight closures, while access for emergency vehicles will be available at all times.

A crane will be used to lift the beams into place over the carriageway.

Earlier this year work began after revised designs for the Killiecrankie to Glen Garry section were unveiled following opposition by campaigners who believed the works would affect the historic Killiecrankie battlefield site.

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: “Please allow additional time for your journey.”

Further closures are due to take place for fifteen minute periods overnight on Friday, 2 August as a series of smaller beams are installed. However, the road will generally be kept open throughout.

In addition to full dualling of the road, all junctions providing direct access to the A9 will be replaced with two new junctions which will provide safe access to and from the road via slip-lanes, while a number of new access roads and tracks will be constructed to provide properties with safe access to the local road network and the new grade separated junctions.