£185m A9 dualling contract between Tomatin and Moy awarded to Balfour Beatty

The £185m contract to dual the A9 between Tomatin and Moy has been awarded to Balfour Beatty.

As part of the contract, the construction firm will upgrade 9.6km of single carriageway to dual carriageway, build four bridges and redevelop junctions.

The dualling of the A9, Scotland’s longest road, has been the subject of controversy as it continues to suffer delays.

Campaigners and opposition politicians have criticised the Scottish Government calling the situation “a shameful betrayal” of the local communities that rely on “Scotland’s deadliest road”.

The A9 was closed in both directions on Friday after three people were taken to hospital following a three-vehicle crash south of Aviemore.

On June 20, six people were taken to hospital after a collision between a car and a recovery vehicle.

In December, the Government announced a further delay of ten years – meaning the project won’t be completed until 2035.

Last year, it was revealed ministers were warned three years ago that fully dualling the A9 could take until 2034 and cost almost £7.2bn – more than double the original £3bn estimate.

In June, First Minister John Swinney met with MSPs from other parties and campaigners from the A9 Dual Action Group, and said his Government was “utterly focused” on delivering the scheme.

John Swinney during his debut First Minister’s Questions as First Minister on May 9.

Politics

Scottish Government ‘utterly focused’ on dualling A9, says Swinney

The project was originally due to be finished by 2025 but the completion date has since been put back to 2035.

Hector MacAulay, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s business in Scotland, said: “We are pleased to have been appointed to deliver the latest phase of the A9 dualling programme.

“The A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project will continue to deliver far reaching benefits to the Scottish economy, creating hundreds of new jobs, as well as improving road user safety.”

At its peak the project is expected to employ 180 people including eight graduate and apprenticeship positions.