New dual carriageway opens by Dalwhinnie

A £10.4 million project to create 3.2 kilometres of badly-needed new dual carriageway on the A9 near Dalwhinnie has opened without any fanfare.

Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown, who was in Aviemore to give a speech at a major transport conference yesterday (Tuesday), said that the scheme would improve traffic congestion, journey times and road safety across the Highlands.

Local MP Danny Alexander also welcomed the extension to the only dual carriageway in the strath.

The Lib Dem politician said: "I am delighted that the Crubenmore extension has now opened after its delayed construction from that originally timetabled by the previous Lib Dem Transport Minister.

"Anyone who regularly drives the A9 will be delighted that these works are complete, and I hope that plans will now be brought forward to deliver further improvements along the A9, given the promises that have been made over it."

Local Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson (SNP) said: "I am delighted that this latest improvement to the major road link between the Eastern Highlands and Central Scotland is now open, but this is not the end of the matter.

"Under the Strategic Transport Projects Review, the current Scottish Government became the first administration to formally commit to the development of a route strategy for A9 improvements as funds become available.

"This is in contrast to the decades of neglect this route and the communities that rely upon it have suffered under a succession of previous Westminster and Holyrood administrations.

"The SNP Scottish Government regards the Highlands as a key part of Scotland and is determined to rectify that under-investment, but making up for decades of neglect can’t be done overnight."

Local Highland Councillor Gregor Rimell (Lib Dem) said any improvement on the A9 was to welcomed.

"I would like to congratulate the contractors for the way they have handled the work," he said.

"They have been courteous to motorists when they have had to delay them because of the work."

The stretch of the Inverness-Perth road has been the scene of several deaths and serious accidents in recent years. The upgrade, which took over 10 months, was boosted as a result of new money for the Scottish Government.

It was one of a number of projects which benefited from £76 million funding brought about by the so-called Barnett consequentials from the UK budget.

Work had originally been scheduled to start extending the dual carriageway between Crubenmore and Ralia several years ago, but the project was repeatedly hit by delay.

The Scottish Government’s announcement of £5.1 million meant that construction could start last November.

The A9 has gained an unenviable reputation as the country’s ‘killer road’, with the section at Crubenmore the scene of some horrific accidents.

Ian Shennan (59), of Ashfield Drive, Elgin, was jailed in 2010 for 28 months after he admitted causing the death of Paul Anderson and his granddaughter, Samantha Jane Carr, by dangerous driving on July 19, 2008.

Following the court case, Mrs Melanie Anderson (46) demanded improvements to the A9.

She asked: "They are going to have to do something about the A9 and not keep putting it off. How many more people are going to have to die?"

Up until now there has been just one kilometre of dual carriageway in Badenoch and Strathspey, at Crubenmore.

A statutory objection received from Network Rail to the A9 Crubenmore scheme was one of the reasons for the hold-up.

Dundee-based Breedon Aggregates won a sub-contract working for John Paul Construction, worth up to £5 million, to supply and lay quarry and bituminous materials.

It has laid the pavement layers on both the existing dual carriageway section and a new three-kilometre extension to the north of the existing dual carriageway.

In all, the company supplied and in part laid over 80,000 tonnes of quarry materials and pavement layers to the contract, which were produced at its Meadowside, Shierglas, Banavie and Netherglen quarries.

The project has been dogged by an ongoing row to preserve a 300-year-old right of way on the A9 by Crubenmore.

Transport Scotland said after a meeting with interested parties, including local horse riders, that a temporary crossing was likely to be built for pedestrians and cyclists when work to dual the road was completed, and that plans were being considered for an underpass at Etteridge.

The comments welcoming the upgrade near Newtonmore were the precursors to a row between Mr Alexander and Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown over improvements on the Highland’s main arterial road.

Mr Alexander sparked the dispute in a speech at the major transport conference in Aviemore.

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