SNP leadership contest: Kate Forbes says dualling A9 'matter of life and death' and pledges to fast-track project

The dualling of the A9 is a “matter of life and death” for people in the Highlands, SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes has said, as she promised to fast-track the project if elected.

The finance secretary said that if she succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as first minister, she will publish a revised timetable for the delayed transport project within two months.

She warned if the Scottish Government does not move forward urgently, the A9 may not be fully dualled until 2050 or later, describing this as “unacceptable and unthinkable”.

It was announced last month the project would not be fully completed by 2025 as originally promised, sparking anger from communities in the Highlands.

The SNP pledged in 2011 to complete dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025 (Picture: John Devlin)

Transport minister Jenny Gilruth said completing the expansion of the 110-mile road between Perth and Inverness was “no longer achievable”, with a revised timetable yet to be given.

Part of the reason for the delay was the procurement process for the Tomatin to Moy section of the project, which resulted in only one tender being submitted that ministers regarded as poor value.

Last year 13 people died in accidents on the A9, the highest level in 20 years, with local residents saying they are constantly living in fear of the next incident.

Ms Forbes, who represents the Highlands constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said a car was a “necessity” for people living in these communities, “not some kind of luxury”.

“Evidence from transport experts proves that fatalities are three times as likely to occur on single carriageways than dual, and ten times more than on motorways,” she said.

“Roads themselves do not cause incidents. But single carriageways with difficult junctions, swift change between single and dual, and many foreign drivers unfamiliar with the road or driving on the left are unforgiving of driver error.

"There is also no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic.

“In my first week in office, I will instruct Transport Scotland to consider whether it can deliver a plan to do this work by the end of the decade.

"A timetable must be published by June at the very latest and certainly not in the autumn.

“Transport Scotland have had nearly two years since the election to do this, and since Covid we have all known that the 2025 target would not be met.

“I want Transport Scotland to work collaboratively with the civil engineering industry to devise means, whether by framework agreement or otherwise, to accelerate the progress.

“Risk sharing should be practised as I believe it is in England and some local authorities. Promises matter. Where we make them, we must keep them.

"It’s about honesty and trust, and that shall be my approach if I am elected first minister.”