Murdo Fraser MSP has slammed the SNP on setting estimated targets for the completion of the A9 dualling between Perth to Inverness.
The Scottish Conservative politician was commenting following hearing the recent announcement from Mairi McAllan MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity of Scotland, who gave a target of 2035 for the full completion of the A9 programme.
She also gave estimated target dates for the remaining sections of the A9 dualling project announced during the statement read to MSPs at Holyrood. So far only 11 miles have been dualled in 16 years.
The SNP Government previously set a target of dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness of 2025.
Commenting, Shadow Secretary for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism, Murdo Fraser MSP said: “We have been waiting for this update since February.
“But that’s nothing compared to the people of Perthshire and the Highlands and Islands who have been waiting for years to see this vital road project completed. Yet the SNP Government has delivered a mere 11 miles of dual carriageway in 16 years.
“Throughout that period, too many lives have needlessly been lost, and more will die as a result of the further delays we have heard about today. At best we will be waiting another 12 years, and that’s if it meets these new targets.
“The Cabinet Secretary blames the UK Government, but if the SNP had kept their promise to complete the dualling by 2025 then the challenges she identifies with inflation and her capital budget would not have been issues.”
Mr Fraser continued: “We were expecting to hear that a contract had been placed for the Tomatin to Moy section. However, even that has not been delivered. Instead, the best we have is the hope that there will be a contract award in summer next year. One year on and we are precisely no further forward.
“The Cabinet Secretary for Transport can’t guarantee this contract award will actually happen, let alone on the timescale she outlined. On the remaining sections, we don’t know that the timescales are achievable, or that they can be funded. We do not even know if there is the appropriate civil engineering contracting capacity to carry out these works, or that anyone will want to tender for them.”
