A public notice for the main contract of the A96 Inveramsay Bridge improvement scheme has been published.

The project is worth around £11m, Transport Scotland has said.

Signalling the start of the procurement process, the agency issued the Public Contracts Scotland contract notice for the works which are expected to start by the end of 2014.

The works involve the construction of a new realigned section of the A96 trunk road and road bridge over the Aberdeen to Inverness railway, which will allow free flowing traffic for road users of the trunk road.

The improvements will help to cut congestion, improve journey time reliability and improve traffic flow, as well as reduce the likelihood of railway bridge strikes.

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Making the announcement, Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "This is further good news for road users in the north east. We have always aimed to get construction underway at Inveramsay Bridge by the end of 2014 and by starting the procurement process today we are ensuring that we remain on target.

"Road users will be delighted to hear that this notorious bottleneck on one of the north east's busiest roads will be subject to a series of improvements that will ultimately enhance their driving experience.

"This is not an easy task as the scheme will involve complex engineering works during the construction phase. The appointed contractor will be required to build a new bridge structure over the existing railway as part of the new 1.5 km road. Currently, road users travel under the railway bridge.

"We want to see improvements to transport connections right across the north east, and the latest developments on work on Inveramsay Bridge scheme underlines our commitment to drive forward plans to meet that pledge."

Construction works on site are expected to last for around one year.

(JP/CD)