Multi-million pound A9 design contracts up for bidding

Three multi-million pound contracts to design the A9 Dualling Programme from Perth to Inverness have been opened up to the market today.

Transport Scotland has published the contract notice for the three large design contracts worth in the region of £40 - £60 million each which cover the Perth to Inverness stretch of the road.

The contracts will cover:

  • Birnam to Glen Garry
  • Glen Garry to Dalraddy
  • Dalraddy to Inverness

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“Dualling of the A9 has been talked about for a generation, but now this massive infrastructure project is on the road to delivery. Opening of the design contract tendering process marks a significant milestone in a project that will deliver faster and more reliable journey times and road safety improvements when it is completed.

“The successful Industry Day at the end of May, attended by some of the UK’s biggest design consultancies, showed the keen interest from the engineering consultancy market in our dualling programme.

“Now is the chance for these businesses to bid for one of these design contracts which offer the prospect of steady work for the next 12 years for the three successful bidders.

“These commissions will also offer many opportunities for small and medium enterprises through sub-consultancy work.

“The continuing public interest in the dualling programme is evident by the fact that over 1,000 people took the time to view our plans last month at a series of public exhibitions.

“The public can still have their say and I would urge anyone with an interest in the dualling Programme to comment by 26 July.

“The work is continuing apace to progress the upgrade of this important route between central Scotland and the Highlands and Islands.”

Notes to editors

  1. Transport Scotland held an Industry Day on 28 May 2013 to inform the engineering consultancy market about business opportunities available through their ambitious £3 billion A9 dualling programme
  2. As part of the ongoing development of the wider A9 Dualling programme, Transport Scotland held a series of public exhibitions in a number of venues in the weeks beginning 3 and 10 June.
  3. The exhibitions gave the public the opportunity to view information for the dualling programme as well as the preferred dualling routes for the Luncarty to Pass of Birnam and Kincraig to Dalraddy sections. They also provided an update on the design work being undertaken on the challenging Birnam to Tay Crossing section.
  4. The closing date for comments on the plans is 26 July 2013.
  5. More details of the A9 dualling Programme can be found at http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/a9dualling

Published 3 Jul 2013