Major Milestone As A9 Dualling Construction Set To Get Underway
Construction work signalling the start of the A9 Dualling Programme moved a step closer today with confirmation of the intention to award the first major contract to a joint venture of Wills Bros Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction.
The £35 million contract for the 7.5km section of the A9 between Kincraig and Dalraddy has saved the public purse £15 million and includes widening this five mile stretch of single carriageway to full dual carriageway.
This is a significant milestone which marks the final phase in the procurement process and, subject to a mandatory standstill period, the contract will be awarded in the coming weeks.
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Keith Brown said:
“The Scottish Government’s ambitious programme for the A9 between Perth to Inverness is now well underway with dualling set to start on this first section shortly and designs now at various stages along the route.
“The ground investigations due to start next month between Glen Garry and Dalraddy will also help inform the ongoing design work for the central section of the A9.
“We have been able to again make considerable savings on one of our infrastructure projects, following significant contract awards for the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project and the AWPR/Balmedie-Tipperty last year, due to our robust procurement process which ensures that all the efficiencies that can be put in place have been implemented.
“The improved road will provide overtaking opportunities in both directions, cutting the number of vehicle convoys and reducing driver frustration. It will also support businesses, communities and tourism throughout Scotland by improving access to and from the Highlands.”
It has also been confirmed that ground investigations work on the central section of the A9 between Glen Garry and Dalraddy is set to get underway soon with the intention to award the £1.1 million contract to Raeburn Drilling & Geotechnical Ltd, also subject to the mandatory standstill period.
Work on the A9 Kincraig to Dalraddy project will start six months earlier than planned following anticipated savings from the Queensferry Crossing and is the first phase in the Scottish Government’s £3 billion A9 Dualling Programme.
Construction at the southern section of the project will run mainly in parallel to the west of the existing A9, before crossing over and providing widening to the east of the A9 for the northern section of the project.
The Scottish Government is working to connect Scotland’s cities with a high quality transport system that will promote journey time reductions and improve operational effectiveness.
The A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness Programme will bring benefits to road users, communities and businesses who live along or use this important route between central Scotland and the Highlands and Islands.
The £3 billion complex and challenging programme is the most expensive transport project in Scotland’s history. It will bring safer roads for road users, local communities and reduce driver stress.
There is currently one fixed safety camera within the Kincraig-Dalraddy scheme which we will be removed during the construction work. To ensure we can best align the necessary traffic management along the length of the 7.5km scheme whilst securing roadworker safety, four mobile average speed cameras, will be used during the scheme’s construction phase. Speed limits through the works will be agreed with Police Scotland and the contractor following formal contract award.
Wills Bros Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction is a joint venture of two building and civil engineering companies, both based in Ireland and operating throughout the UK and Ireland.
John Paul Construction recently successfully completed the A9 Crubenmore Dual Carriageway Northern Extension for Transport Scotland at a cost of £10.4m.
In 2010, Wills Bros Civil Engineering undertook the A855 Portree to Staffin road widening contract on the Isle of Skye for The Highland Council at a cost of £1.5m.
For more information on the A9 Dualling Programme visit http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/project/a9-dualling-perth-inverness