Former senior SNP minister Fergus Ewing made a direct plea to government leaders to set out new plans for dualling the notorious A9 and A96 – after two more deaths.
The Inverness and Nairn MSP demanded a public statement with dates for the project nearly a fortnight he last raised safety concerns about fatalities over summer.
Tributes were paid to grandmother Philippa Grant of Rothiemurchus who died in a road accident on the A9 at the Slochd near Carrbridge on September 16.Â
The 73-year-old “tour de force” was active in her community, and on a national level, and served on the main board of cancer charity Maggie’s between 2004 to 2015.
On the same day, Jacalyn Margittay, 69, of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, USA, died in a multi-vehicle crash on the A9 near Dunkeld.Â
A 76-year-old woman, 71-year-old man and 53-year-old woman were also seriously injured in the accident which happened around noon.
‘Great sadness’
Appearing emotional, Mr Ewing raised the recent deaths with “great sadness” on Wednesday afternoon.
The SNP MSP said the current target of 2025 for dualling the A9 is “plainly impossible and requires updating”, as he pushed for ministers to provide revised timescales.
In response, Holyrood’s Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone said it is for the Scottish Government to determine whether it wishes to bring forward a ministerial statement.
She added:Â “However, your comments are now on the record. As you have noted you were able to raise this matter at First Minister’s Questions on September 8 and you will of course be able to use all the various scrutiny mechanisms available to members to continue to raise these concerns.”
Speaking during FMQs on September 8, Ms Sturgeon said road safety is of “paramount importance”.
But she failed to give any indication of a revised timetable for delivery of the two multi-billion pound road projects.
Work to upgrade 80 miles of the A9 between Inverness and Perth was originally pencilled-in for completion by 2025.
However, only two of the 11 sections have been dualled to date.
Meanwhile, the government’s target for dualling the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen was initially to be 2030, but construction is yet to begin.
The project was plunged into doubt after the SNP struck a power-sharing deal with the Greens last year.
An evidence-based review on fully dualling the route will report before the end of the year.