SNP Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth has been warned that ditching plans to dual the A96 between Aberdeen and Huntly could be “catastrophic” and a “betrayal to the north-east”.
A summit was held at Holyrood on Tuesday around the future of the long-awaited project to dual the road between Aberdeen and Inverness.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth attended the roundtable event, which was hosted by Aberdeenshire East SNP MSP Gillian Martin.
MSPs across the wider region took the opportunity to voice their concerns at the lack of certainty over plans to upgrade the stretch which runs through Inverurie.
The SNP promised in 2011 to dual the entire A96 from Aberdeen to Inverness.
But the pledge has been in doubt since Nicola Sturgeon struck a power-sharing deal with the Greens in 2021, leading to a review of the £3 billion project.
This has now been delayed after Transport Scotland confirmed 16 options for the Aberdeen to Inverness route are being looked at in the first half of this year.
The results will be put out to further public consultation before a final decision can be reached on the way forward.
‘Talking shop’
North-east MSP Liam Kerr pushed for clarity on how much has been spent on design plans for the section and timescales on when the proposals would be carried forward.
He said: “It seems the SNP Government has kicked any sort of plans to upgrade the A96 between Aberdeen and Huntly into the long grass and the public ought to know why.
“This meeting emphasised how badly the SNP have handled the project and yet we still weren’t given any answers on if this stretch will actually ever be dualled.”
Alexander Burnett, the MSP for Aberdeenshire West, described the meeting as “nothing more than a talking shop”.
He added: “Their constant backtracking throughout the meeting was there for all to see and this lack of action is a betrayal to the north-east.”
Aberdeenshire East SNP MSP Gillian Martin said: “No one in that room was in any doubt of the importance of this corridor to the people of the north-east, and it was good to hear the minister recognise that and reiterate that the existing plan is to dual the road.
“There were informative discussions, and members were able to put their thoughts on the report which showed a very strong support for dualling, and a desire to see it proceed quickly.”
She continued: “We were told that the next stages of appraisal will be produced and published by summer.”
It emerged last week that transport chiefs still do not have the land needed to dual the route between Inverness and Nairn.
The SNP government was accused of being “no closer” to delivering the congestion-busting scheme, which includes the Nairn bypass.
They approved the work two years ago but have not used their compulsory purchase powers to secure the land needed for the revamped road.
The 18-mile Inverness to Nairn section is unaffected by the review after being safeguarded by the government as part of the agreement.
‘Timely opportunity’
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said it “seems like the Tories attended a different meeting”.
She added: “The minister was grateful to Gillian Martin for convening the meeting, which allowed the consultants, Aecom, to update members on the outcome of the A96 corridor review.
“It was a timely opportunity for MSPs to query the options presented and to fully provide them with an understanding of the next steps in the process.
“The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering improvements along the A96 to enhance connectivity between surrounding towns, tackle congestion and address safety and environmental issues.
“The current plan is to fully dual the A96 route between Inverness and Aberdeen – however, we are conducting a transparent, evidence-based review of the programme.”
Conversation