The public is being invited to have their say on the preferred option for the A96 Inverness to Nairn dualling scheme – including the long-awaited bypass for the town.
Transport Scotland has announced a series of three exhibitions next month to unveil their route choice for the multimillion-pound scheme.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The Scottish Government has given a clear commitment to dual the A96 by 2030, delivering around 86 miles of upgraded road between Inverness and Aberdeen.
“Dualling the route is a significant undertaking which requires careful, in-depth planning and design to ensure that we deliver the right scheme to help tackle congestion and provide better journey time reliability and road safety for all users.
“As a signal of that commitment, we are now providing locals and road users the opportunity to view the preferred option for the 30km (18.6miles) Inverness to Nairn including Nairn Bypass scheme.
“I would urge anyone with an interest to attend one of the exhibitions in October and comment on our plans.
“We expect to appoint a design consultant early next year to develop the preferred option and expect to publish draft orders for the scheme in 2016.”
The exhibitions will be held at Nairn Community and Arts Centre on October 3; Dunbar Memorial Hall in Auldearn on October 6, and Raigmore Community Centre in Inverness on October 7.