Dualling of the notorious A9 will finally start in the Highlands in less that a fortnight’s time as the government “cracks on” with the £3bn project.
Workmen will move onto a five-mile stretch south of Aviemore on September 10.
Motorists will face two years of disruption as work gets underway to upgrade the short route between Kincraig and Dalraddy.
The existing average speed camera on the stretch will be replaced by four separate devices to keep motorists in check during the work.
Scottish Government infrastructure secretary Keith Brown said good progress was being made – and that the work should have been done decades ago.
Mr Brown, on a visit to Kingussie yesterday, added that the lack of a public planning inquiry over the upgrade had accelerated the process.
He added: “Obviously there is a fair bit of impatience and that’s understandable, this road should have been dualled decades ago in my view.
“But it hasn’t been and it’s the spinal route between the north and south of the country, it’s economically extremely important and it should have been done decades ago.
“But we’re cracking on with it now and the first part starts in a fortnight’s time and we’ll get it done by 2025.”
Mr Brown said initial ground investigations had been carried out and that only “obvious checks” will have to be completed on September 10.
The construction work will be joint venture by Wills Bros Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction, who will build the new road for £35million – £15million less than the original estimate.
The first stretch of the newly dualled road will open in summer 2017.
The start date was greeted with cross-party political support, with the development also hailed by business leaders last night.
Inverness Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stuart Nicol said the “short term pain” of the roadworks would be offset by the “long term gain”.
He said: “It’s good to see that they are starting as the tourist season tails off so that’s appreciated.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to the project and want to see it delivered in as short a timeframe as possible.”
The government aims to complete work on the 108-mile route between Inverness and Perth by 2025.
The trunk road has an unenviable safety record with 67 fatalities on the route between 2006 and 2010.
Labour shadow transport spokesman and Highland road safety campaigner David Stewart said: “I’m very pleased that work is finally getting underway.
“As a road safety campaigner it’s clear the benefits of the dual carriageway and I’m confident that it will result in safer conditions for all road users.”
He added: “Obviously there will be some inconvenience during the construction but the benefits will outweigh it.
“I would expect the project to be delivered in time and I will hold the government to that.”
Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP, said: “We’ve been waiting a long time to see the progression of the A9 dualling to the construction phase so have a date set for the first stretch to be done is very encouraging.
“I hope that means that will now see the works progress at pace and I hope that we will now see work starting to press ahead on other stretches of the road which badly need done as well.”