First Minister: No progress on A9 dualling 'would be unforgivable'
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EXCLUSIVE: First Minister Humza Yousaf admitted it “would be unforgivable” to go another one, two or three years without progress on the A9 dualling project.
While looking at the Friday edition of The Inverness Courier containing action points concerning safety and delivery, Mr Yousaf said the government would be “absolutely happy” to look at each suggestion.
The First Minister has also been briefed by transport secretary Màiri McAllan following The Inverness Courier A9 Crisis Summit last Tuesday – something Mr Yousaf described as positive while visiting the Highland capital yesterday.
“I was really pleased how the summit went," said the SNP leader. "Of course it was difficult, challenging, and understandably so but Màiri was right to say a few things – first and foremost, to give consideration to what was being talked about by the public, even if things were ruled out previously, we are happy to go back over them to look at those decisions – why were they made, can different decisions be made and so on.
"This issue of the speed limit with the 60mph and 70mph signs – [we're] absolutely happy to look at that issue again.
“I think, importantly, when we think about the dualling of the A9 people are absolutely right to say that this is an issue of safety as well as connectivity.”
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The First Minister was determined to make good his promise issued at the SNP hustings and also at The Inverness Courier Leadership Debate in March when he said he would deliver the A9 dualling. It came a month after the government declared the promise to complete dualling of the Inverness-Perth section by 2025 was unachievable.
Mr Yousaf said: “During the leadership contest I said one of the first issues I'm going to look at is both dualling of the A9 and also the A96 as well. I have had those conversations and those meetings and I expect to be able to come back in the autumn when the government provides an update on where we are in relation to the timetable.
“And we're going to have to make progress on the A9, there are no ifs or buts about it, we cannot go another year, two years, three years without there being progress on the A9 – it would be unforgivable.”
But Mr Yousaf did not agree with Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey SNP MP Drew Hendry who has told Inverness Courier readers that it was a “mistake” to offer a deadline without everything in place to deliver the A9 dualling project.
“I think hindsight is wonderful, in politics especially,” Mr Yousaf said. “But people do want at least a time range of when things will be completed, that's completely understandable, so we tried to do that.
“We have done a number of infrastructure projects, including a number of major road projects and so we try to use that as a blueprint for how long any other project will take and we'll try to make sure we give regular updates.
“So I think it is right to give at least our range with all the caveats, I don't think any of us should have foreseen, especially the inflationary pressures, we were going to be facing and have faced over the last 12-18 months.
“And that has again challenged us on a number of capital infrastructure projects, the A9 included, but frankly from a government perspective and for me, in terms of infrastructure, the A9 is THE priority to have to progress.
“As I say, we cannot go much further at all without not just demonstrating progress but also giving people an idea of what the future of that project looks like in terms of a timeline.
“You should be absolutely assured and we are not moving back one inch from our commitment to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness.”
