A series of exhibitions showing how a key part of the new dualled A9 will look is to get underway in the coming weeks.

The events will be held early in the new year to allow the public to view designs and make their views known.

Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil will today announce the options for the Luncarty to Tay Crossing would be published in the new year with more details on the schedule for completion of the Perth to Inverness stretch follow soon after.

These significant steps forward follow the commitment made in the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) to complete the dualling of the road by 2025 at the latest.

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Speaking ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate on the IIP,, Mr Neil said: "Dualling the A9 will be complex and challenging and will require careful in-depth planning and design to ensure we have the right scheme before construction work can start.

"The project represents one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history. But this administration has put in place a clear timetable with a commitment to complete the work by 2025 at the latest.

"That demanding schedule demands we act as soon as possible. In the next few weeks, we will begin a series of exhibitions allowing the public to see our proposals for the road and I am very excited about revealing these plans, with a view to getting work underway as soon as we can.

"The Scottish Government has an excellent record of delivering major, complex transport infrastructure projects on time and on budget. This year we have completed the M80 and the M74 was completed ahead of schedule and significantly under budget."

The A9 is the longest trunk road in Scotland and the sections to be dualled total around 80 miles. This is 16 times the length of the recently completed M74 and eight times the length of the M80 between Stepps and Haggs.

(GK)