A9 dualling won’t be finished until 2035 – ten years late

Five new contracts to complete 70 miles of upgrading between Perth and Inverness

Dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness won’t be complete until 2035 – ten years later than the Scottish Government pledged – and cost £3.7 billion, transport secretary Mairi McAllan has confirmed.

The remaining 70 miles will be constructed under six contracts, but the Cabinet secretary said it would be finished within the original £3 billion budget “when adjusted for inflation”.

Ms McAllan acknowledged the project was a “significant long-term commitment” financially, but ministers now had a “concrete” plan and “there will be no let up” until it is completed. She said nearly 50 per cent of the upgrade is expected to be dualled by the end of 2030 and 85 per cent by the end of 2033.

The A9 from Perth to Inverness is set to be all dual carriageway by 2035, according to the Scottish Government (Picture: John Devlin)

But only two sections totalling 11 miles have been dualled since the SNP pledged to complete the project in 2007, and by 2025 in 2011.

The contract for the next stretch, six miles between Tomatin and Moy, south of Inverness, is due to be awarded early next summer and be completed by the end of 2027, as Ms McAllan previously announced.

She said of the remaining eight sections, the three at the southern end would have traditional capital-funded “design and build” contracts and the other five would be combined into two “resource-funded mutual investment model” (MIM) contracts, similar to those used by the Welsh Government.

The first design and build contract, between the Tay crossing north of Dunkeld and Ballinluig, is due to be published next spring, awarded in summer 2025 and completed by the end of 2028. Procurement of the Pitlochry to Killiecrankie section is due to start in summer 2025 and be completed by the end of 2030.

The Luncarty-Pass of Birnam section is one of only two to have been dualled since the Scottish Government pledged to complete the project between Perth and Inverness in 2007. (Photo by John Devlin/The Scotsman)

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Ms McAllan said the most tricky section to design because of its narrow corridor, between the Pass of Birnam and the Tay crossing, would include a roundabout at Dunkeld, as sought by campaigners, with exhibitions of the plans on January 29-30. Procurement is due to start in summer 2027 and finish by the end of 2032.

A single MIM contract would cover the Dalraddy to Slochd and Crubenmore to Kincraig sections from winter 2026/27 and be completed by the end of 2033. A second MIM contract would comprise the remaining sections, from Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore, Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie and Killiecrankie to Glen Garry from winter 2028/29 with completion by the end of 2035.

Ms McAllan said the total cost was now estimated at £3.7 billion at April 2023 prices. She said: “When adjusted for inflation, that is equivalent to £2.45bn at April 2008 prices, which is well within the original cost estimate of £3bn at 2008 prices.”

The dark purple sections showing the dualled sections highlight how much work is still to be done. (Photo by Transport Scotland)

Scottish Conservatives business, economic growth and tourism spokesperson Murdo Fraser said: “This jaw-dropping announcement means the SNP will be a decade late delivering this essential upgrade – and that’s assuming there are no further delays. We don’t know that the timescales are achievable, or that they can be funded."

Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Alex Rowley said: “This is a shameful betrayal of the communities that have been given assurances over dualling for years from this government. This news will be a hammer blow to businesses and communities and means safety concerns will persist for over another decade."