Calls for clarity over what went ‘so terribly wrong’ with dualling of A9

The SNP-Green government is facing pressure to answer crucial questions surrounding the project to dual the A9 between Inverness and Perth.

All three candidates vying to be Scotland’s next first minister have promised to work to speed up delivery of dualling the road, should they be elected next week.

There was outrage last month when Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth announced the route would not be dualled by 2025.

An updated timescale for completion will not be provided to parliament until autumn, after work to determine the “most suitable” procurement options for the remaining sections is completed.

MSPs will use a Holyrood debate on Tuesday to demand answers from the government on “what has gone so terribly wrong” with the project.

Doubt has also been cast over the full dualling of the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness, with an environmental review still to report back.

Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro-Johnston said there has been “more questions than answers from the Scottish Government” since the A9 delay was confirmed.

He said: “We still don’t know when Transport Scotland finally made the call that the target date would be missed.

“We still don’t know how long doubts were being raised within government and within Transport Scotland over whether the 2025 target could be delivered.

“And while we now know – if what the transport minister told me was accurate – that Scottish ministers were first told on December 7 – that the project would not be completed as promised, we don’t know why it took three months for Jenny Gilruth to inform parliament of this.”

He urged SNP and Green MSPs to attend the debate and “to demand answers from the Scottish Government on what has gone so terribly wrong”.

SNP promise to dual road

Dualling the A9 was a promise made by the SNP in 2007, with a completion target date of 2025.

However, Ms Gilruth admitted on February 8 that this was “simply no longer achievable” due to economic pressures.

She confirmed a bid to upgrade the Tomatin-Moy section in the Highlands has been rejected over high costs and will have to go out to tender again.

Several Highland representatives and business leaders have voiced their concerns and frustration over the delays.

Campaigners have been inundating the Scottish Government with demands to upgrade the road after more than a dozen tragedies on the route in 2022. 

Inverness MSP Fergus Ewing said the failure to meet the target date of 2025 amounted to a “betrayal of the Highlands”.

He has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the handling of the A9 improvement programme.

‘Unwavering’ commitment

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “The transport minister made clear to parliament last month, the government’s commitment to completing the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness is unwavering.

“Over £430 million has been spent to date and Transport Scotland is making good progress towards retendering the Tomatin to Moy section with the aim of awarding the construction contract before the end of the year.

“Concurrently, work to determine the most suitable procurement options for the remaining sections is ongoing and an updated timescale for completion will be provided to parliament when this work completes in autumn 2023.

“Parliament has been updated on the outcome of the Tomatin to Moy procurement and the position of the wider A9 dualling programme at the first opportunity available following decision making on the procurement.”