Dual carriageway green light for stretch of A9
Luncarty to Birnam work will start towards the end of 2017
A stretch of the A9 between Luncarty and Birnam is to be widened after a planned project was recently given the green light
Transport Scotland has given orders to dual the section, “subject to the successful completion of the statutory process”.
Scottish Government cabinet secretary for the economy, jobs and fair work, Keith Brown, hailed the move. He said: “The Scottish Government is committed to delivering our ambitious programme to upgrade the A9 to dual carriageway between Perth and Inverness.
“The publication of road orders for the next section to be dualled between Luncarty and the Pass of Birnam is a clear signal of that commitment and we expect to start the procurement process for the main construction contract for this project next year, with work starting towards the end of 2017.”
Mr Brown continued: “We remain on target to complete the work in 2025, bringing faster journey times, better journey time reliability and road safety improvements for anyone travelling between the cities of Perth and Inverness.”
The SNP politician, who represents the constituency covering Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, added: “We have now identified preferred routes for over 36 miles of the 80 miles to be dualled, meaning that nearly half of the route to be dualled is at preferred route status.”
Meanwhile, residents living by another Perthshire section of the A9 – north of the Luncarty to Birnam stretch – are still waiting to hear if the road will take an ‘offline’ route near them.
Households, farms and businesses around Dowally, Guay, Kindallachan remain in the dark about the fate of the land around them.
Back in May they heard Transport Scotland was considering a new route to Ballinluig which would take a line through farmland, several areas of outstanding beauty and two areas of special scientific interest.
Speaking for the group No To The A9 Offline, Sally Broughton told the PA: “The route won’t mitigate any impact on the residents of the three settlements of Dowally, Guay and Kindallachan, it will merely change which residents are affected.”
Transport Scotland had promised to make a decision on the preferred route “by the end of the year”. Scottish Government cabinet minster Keith Brown