Transport Scotland has started market engagement on a £155m contract for the next section of the A9 dualling scheme.
A Prior Information Notice (PIN) on the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project outlines general plans for the design and build contract.
The project involves upgrading approximately 5 miles (8.2km) of existing single carriageway, from just north of the Jubilee Bridge over the river Tay and ending at the southern end of the existing dual carriageway south of Ballinluig Junction.
This section of the A9 is close to several designated environmental sites, including watercourses forming part of the River Tay special area of conservation which are crossed by the existing A9.
The contract will also include ‘a 260 week period of maintenance after completion of the main works and a 260 week period of landscape establishment following completion of landscape planting’.
The appointed contractor and the applicable subcontractors will enter into a Project Bank Account Trust Agreement – a mechanism for prompt payment to sub-contractors.
The contract award is planned for Summer 2025. Transport Scotland will contact interested contractors for a pre-procurement market consultation at the end of April and expect to hold a ‘virtual industry event’ in May.
Cabinet secretary for transport, Fiona Hyslop, said: ‘This Government is committed to dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness and the Prior Information Notice for the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project further demonstrates our commitment to the delivery plan we announced in December 2023, which aims to complete dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness by the end of 2035.
‘This step builds further momentum in our progress towards increased construction activity and is further tangible evidence of our commitment to completing the A9 Dualling programme.’
The project involves:
- widening of existing A9 single carriageway to Dual 2 lane All-purpose roads Sub-category c (D2APc) standard, in accordance with ‘CD 109 Highway Link Design’ within the UK Design Manual for Roads and Bridge
- construction of seven left-in left-out junctions
- construction of a roundabout
- upgrade to side roads including resurfacing or realignment and other improvements
- construction of access roads to rural properties
- provision of one new overbridge structure (Guay South Overbridge) and one new underbridge structure (Kindallachan Underbridge)
- replacement and/or upgrade to a number of existing structures including culverts and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) developed in consultation with Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
- provision of traffic management, earthworks, road restraint systems, accommodation works, service diversions, fencing, signage, landscaping and environmental mitigation.
Procurement for dualling the A9 between Tomatin and Moy is currently underway and is expected to be awarded in early Summer this year, with construction starting shortly after.
At present 35% of the A9 between Perth and Inverness is dual carriageway. Once operational, the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project will increase this proportion to 40%, expected by the end of 2027, and the A9 Dualling: Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project will increase this proportion to 45%, expected by the end of 2028.
