First Minister John Swinney says he is “committed” to delivering on A9 dualling as he pledged to meet with a cross-party delegation of MSPs to discuss the delayed scheme.
The new SNP leader was pushed to meet with the group to discuss accelerating the project while at Holyrood for First Minister’s Questions.
Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing said it was with “considerable sorrow” that another fatality had taken place on the route.
A 42-year-old woman lost her life following a crash at Slochd in the Highlands on Monday.
Mr Ewing, who has repeatedly spoken up at parliament about the delayed project, said five of the six parties at Holyrood want to see it dualled.
Only the Greens have said it is time to “look again” at the project, suggesting roundabouts and junction improvements instead of a full upgrade.
Mr Ewing asked the new first minister to meet with the cross-party group to “accelerate the completion of this project” and prevent the “risk of further fatalities arising”.
The SNP announced in December that the project will not be completed until 2035 – a decade later than promised.Â
‘Commitment’ to A9 dualling
Mr Swinney told MSPs he has been “committed” to A9 dualling since he first stood for election in the 1992 general election for North Tayside.
“I want to assure Mr Ewing of the government’s commitment to dualling the A9”, he said.
“I would be very happy to meet the cross-party delegation to discuss this issue and to explain how this project fits into the infrastructure programme of the Scottish Government.
“And also to explain how the different steps we have taken within the capital investment of the programme have delivered the improvements to the A9 that the government has already delivered.”
Mr Swinney’s assurances come a day after former first minister Alex Salmond claimed the project became less of a priority after he left government in 2014.Â
The ex-SNP leader condemned years of hold-ups on Wednesday in front of a Holyrood committee examining the failure to dual between Perth and Inverness by 2025.
Appearing before MSPs, Mr Salmond shared his hopes the new first minister will be “anxious to redeem the commitment” to dualling he agreed as part of cabinet in 2008.
But we previously revealed that Mr Swinney, then finance secretary, raised alarm over costs associated with the project, on the very same day Mr Salmond made the dualling pledge in Inverness on August 8, 2008.
Mr Salmond said it is a “matter of principle, of integrity and of honour and I’m sure that John (Swinney) will seek to redeem it as quickly as possible.”