Deadly A9 will be upgraded to full dual carriageway within 14 years

THE Scottish Government is next week expected to announce long-awaited plans to complete the dualling of one of Scotland’s most dangerous roads – the notorious A9 from Perth to Inverness – by 2025.

In a major boost for road safety, it is understood that ministers plan to roll out a massive year-on-year investment programme over the next 14 years. It could cut journey times on the busy route by 22 minutes.

The detailed timetable will be unveiled as part of the new capital programme to be set out at Holyrood. Previous studies have estimated that it could cost up to £4 billion to complete the upgrading of the route.

The 117-mile road, which switches between single carriageway and short stretches of dual carriageway, has already claimed 11 lives this year.

Alex Neil, the Cabinet secretary for infrastructure and capital investment, said yesterday: “The Scottish Government has already given a firm commitment that dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness will be delivered on a progressive basis, and that remains the current position, reflecting the ambitions of this government.

“Our infrastructure investment plan, setting out our ambitious programme for investment across Scotland, will be published next week. The full contents of our extensive plans will be made public at that point.”

The expected confirmation of the investment was widely welcomed.

Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, who has been a leading campaigner for A9 dualling, said it was very positive news.

“This road has been claiming too many lives, causing too many accidents and holding back our economy and, as a result, I and other campaigners have been calling for a full timetable for dualling works to be set out for several years,” he said.

“Dualling the A9 will be good for drivers, good for the economy, good for communities, good for connectivity, good for haulage and, most importantly, good for Scotland.”

But Highland Labour MSP David Stewart claimed: “It would be quicker sending a space probe to Mars and back before the SNP manage to finally dual the A9.

“They have been full of big promises but have continually let the Highlands down. It was a key manifesto commitment in 2007 and John Swinney has been holding the chequebook ever since.

“It is another example of the SNP failure to deliver on public projects.”

A report commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enter-prise and transport group Hitrans in 2007 said the economy of the Highlands and Islands could benefit by almost £1bn from the project.