Four in the frame for dualling contract

Keith Brown

TRANSPORT Scotland has named a four-strong shortlist of organisations bidding to construct the next section of the A9 dualling project.

Farrans Construction and Roadbridge Joint Venture, Wills Bros. Civil Engineering and Lagan Construction Group Joint Venture, Dragados and Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering are the names in the frame for the 9.5km section between Luncarty and Pass of Birnam.

Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work  said, “Work on the A9 Dualling Programme is continuing at pace, with preferred routes having been identified for more than 90 per cent of the programme, and we expect to award the contract for the Luncarty to Pass of Birnam section in the first half of 2018.

“The A9 dualling programme is already delivering for our economy by supporting nearly 1,200 engineering-related jobs with many more in the pipeline.”

Mr Brown was speaking during a visit to inspect work on the construction of the £35 million road between Kincraig and Dalraddy, which is being delivered by Wills Bros Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction and is due to open shortly. He said the new 7.5km section of dual-carriageway will deliver a range of benefits to the public and the economy including safer opportunities to overtake, reduced congestion, shorter journey times and a “better experience” when travelling between Scotland’s central belt and Inverness.