Transport Scotland's A9 dualling programme will upgrade 83 miles of the A9 between Perth and Inverness from single to dual carriageway. The programme was initially set to complete by the end of 2025, but this has now been delayed to the end of 2035.
The revised plan
On 20 December 2023, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition, Mairi McAllan, updated the Scottish Parliament on the delivery plan for the delayed A9 dualling programme. This followed the Scottish Government's announcement in February 2023 that the programme would be delayed, after finding the single tender submission received for the Tomatin to Moy project did not represent the best value for the taxpayer.
The revised delivery plan includes a hybrid approach for construction to continue rolling from project to project until the programme is complete. Four projects along the south section of the A9 are to be funded as individual capital-funded design and build contracts, and the remaining projects in the north and central sections will be delivered through two resource-funded Mutual Investment Model (MIM) contracts, subject to due diligence and further decision making next year, including an assessment of market conditions at the time.
The proposed timeline
The table below outlines Transport Scotland's plans to deliver the programme by the end of 2035. Progress has been made with the Tomatin to Moy project and work is to begin immediately to prepare to procure a design and build contract for the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project, the first of three contracts to be procured in the coming years.
Project | Procurement commencement | Expected contract award | Dualling to be operational |
Procurement of four design and build contracts | |||
Tomatin to Moy | Autumn 2023 | Early Summer 2024 | End of 2027 |
Tay Crossing to Ballinluig | Spring 2024 | Summer 2025 | End of 2028 |
Pitlochry to Killiecrankie | Summer 2025 | Autumn 2026 | End of 2030 |
Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing | Summer 2027 (subject to completion of statutory processes) | Autumn 2028 | End of 2032 |
Procurement of two mutual investment model contracts (subject to confirmation in late 2025) | |||
A9 North (Crubenmore to Kincraig and Dalraddy to Slochd) | Winter 2026/27 | Autumn 2028 | End of 2033 |
A9 Central (Killiecrankie to Glen Garry, Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie and Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore) | Winter 2028/29 | Autumn 2030 | End of 2035 |
Compulsory purchase
To deliver the project, Transport Scotland is using compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) to acquire the necessary land and rights in land for each section. The CPOs are at different stages depending on the section, ranging from draft CPOs yet to be published (Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing) to land acquisition complete (Tomatin to Moy). If you are affected by the A9 dualling programme and would like advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our compulsory purchase specialists or your usual Brodies' contact.
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