A9 Tomatin to Moy

This 9.6 km (6 mile) section of the A9 from Tomatin to Moy is being upgraded to dual carriageway as part of a wider programme to improve the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

We published the draft Orders and Environmental Statement for the project in May 2018.

The Road Orders and Compulsory Purchase Order were made on 27 January 2021 and came into force on 26 February 2021. The road Orders define the line of the proposed route from Tomatin to Moy and the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) defines the extent of the land required to deliver the project.

• View the Orders and Plans

The project is utilising an updated contract strategy and new form of contract. The Contract Notice for the main works for the project was published on 5^th September 2023, formally commencing the new procurement of the project.

The preferred bidder for the contract was announced in July 2024 as Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd. Following the mandatory 10 day standstill period the contract was awarded to Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd. The estimated total scheme cost is £296m at Q2 2024 prices.

Once complete, the project will provide approximately 33km (20 miles) of continuous dual carriageway south of Inverness. Connectivity to public transport will also be improved, plus the delivery of approximately 10km of improvement to active travel routes promote walking and cycling in the local area.

This project considered a range of constraints through the early design process including:

• local accesses and non-motorised user (NMU) facilities
• working alongside the Highland Mainline Railway
• peat of ecological importance
• areas of ancient woodland
• land use of adjacent farms and estates.

Advance Works

As part of the preparatory works for the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project, various advance works and surveys have been delivered with the aim of reducing risk to the construction programme for the project.

Tomatin Distillery Advance Works

Utilising Transport Scotland’s A9 Advance Works Framework Agreement, Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd were awarded a contract in December 2021, for works to the value of £1.5m.

These enabling works near to Tomatin Distillery included widening and realignment of the C1121 side road, provision of bus turning facilities, and replacement of the footbridge over the Allt na Frithe watercourse. These works will link the new Tomatin grade separated (two-level) junction to the Distillery, providing improved access to the A9 in both directions.

Works were completed in October 2022.

Advance Archaeological Investigation Works

AOC Holdings Ltd and CFA Archaeology Ltd were awarded the contract for the- archaeological investigation works in December 2021.

Unidentified archaeological finds during the construction period can have major implications on construction programmes. To help mitigate this risk, a series of works were completed on site, concluding in Summer 2022.

The works consisted of several earthworks, landscape surveys and a programme of trial trenching, which was followed by more detailed intrusive investigation. The investigation uncovered archaeological features from the 18th Century through to the Cold War. Tomatin ROC Post was also investigated, with a detailed Building report produced showing their findings.

Lynebeg Railway Underbridge Replacement

Transport Scotland worked alongside Network Rail to procure and deliver the replacement of Lynebeg Underbridge, as well as culvert diversion works around Moy Rail Bridge. The new Lynebeg bridge structure was constructed separately, before being manoeuvred into its final position over 78 hours.  The bridge was replaced to strengthen, safeguard and future-proof the route for the long term.

The creation of a new ecological pond at the site supports a nationally rare sub-species of Caddisfly. The species is only encountered at nine locations across the UK, Lynebeg being one of these. Developing the new pond ahead of the main works and translocating the Caddisfly from the previous existing pond has allowed the species to establish in the new pond, before the existing pond is impacted by the main works.

Community engagement is a priority for all of our projects. Working with those affected by the A9 dualling programme is at the heart of our planning and we regularly consult with local communities, road users, businesses and individuals as our plans are progressed.

Public Exhibitions – June 2018

Public exhibitions were held on 7 and 8 June 2018 to give local communities and road users the opportunity to see and comment on our proposals for the dualling project between Tomatin and Moy, following the publication of the draft Orders and Environmental Statement in May 2018. Materials presented at the exhibitions can be found below:

• Plans and drawings
• Fly through visualisation video

Public drop in sessions - May 2017

Public drop-in sessions were held on 18 and 19 May 2017 to give local communities and road users the opportunity to see and comment on the outcome of ongoing design work for the dualling project between Tomatin and Moy. Materials presented at the sessions can be found below:

• Poster, leaflet, information panels and feedback form
• Public Information Drawings

Public exhibitions - November 2016

Following identification of the preferred route for the Tomatin to Moy project, public exhibitions were held on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 November 2016 to let the public view and comment on our plans. The summary report of the public drop-in sessions contains further details of these events.

Public exhibitions were held in the Strathdearn Hall, Tomatin on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October 2015 to let the public view and comment on initial design work, including route and junction options, for the Tomatin to Moy dualling project. The A9 Tomatin to Moy exhibition summary contains further details of these events.

Drawings / plans

• Non Motorised Users and Potential Location of Lay-bys
• NMU Summary for Preferred Route Exhibition
• Bus Turning Areas Tomatin to Moy
• Preferred Route Tomatin South Options
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Drawing (1 of 7)
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Drawing (2 of 7)
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Drawing (3 of 7)
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Drawing (4 of 7)
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Drawing (5 of 7)
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Drawing (6 of 7)
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Drawing (7 of 7)
• Stage 2 Preferred Option Aerial and Constraint Mapping Background
• Stage 3 Sub Option A & B
• Stage 3 - Damagarry and Lynebeg / Moy Area Sub Options C, D & E
• Tomatin Junction Options Preferred Routes and Compact Grade Separated Junctions
• Tomatin to Moy Forestry Access Proposal
• Tomatin to Moy Stage 2 Preferred Option And Potential Locations Of Drainage Ponds

Public exhibitions - October 2015

Public exhibitions were held in the Strathdearn Hall, Tomatin on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October 2015 to let the public view and comment on initial design work, including route and junction options, for the Tomatin to Moy dualling project.

Change of address for AWJV Stakeholder and Lands team

Please note that from 9 March 2018 the AtkinsRéalis WSP Joint Venture Stakeholder and Lands team are based at:

AtkinsRéalis WSP Joint Venture
WSP
110 Queen Street
Glasgow
G1 3BX

The A9 Dualling Programme is being delivered with a focus on community benefits and a commitment to bringing meaningful and measurable change to the communities surrounding the project.

We have already began delivering benefits to the communities surrounding the project through our advance works packages:

As part of the archaeological investigation works, the team arranged early career site visits for young people and outreach sessions with schools in the local area. The sessions involved analysing of objects and samples that had been taken from the site, and learning about the work of archaeologists on site through video interviews.

The advance works at Tomatin Distillery involved several sub-contracts which were awarded at a value of just under £500,000, including one social enterprise. Four of these sub-contracts were awarded to local SME sub-contractors, and over 50% of all staff onsite during the works were from local areas. The works also provided a variety of workplace and training opportunities, with 14 qualifications achieved by site staff during the construction phase of the works. This included a four-week placement for an apprentice and an onsite role to an individual from an identified priority group.

During these works, the onsite team also assisted the Strathdearn Community Development Trust with their work on a community housing project. They installed fencing, culvert and drainage in order to prevent flooding. The team also donated excess tree stumps and logs to local sawmills, and peat for a local mushroom farm, embracing a circular approach to construction materials on the project.

Active Travel

The project will also consist of the realignment of the National Cycle Network Route 7 between Tomatin and Dalmagarry, where it will join its current route, providing better connectivity to communities.

As part of advance works undertaken at Tomatin Distillery, a replacement pedestrian bridge was erected over the Allt na Frithe. The path is one primarily used by schoolchildren for accessing public transport services to the local school.