Civil engineering firm I&H Brown has been been selected to carry out demolition works on the Luncarty to Pass of Birnam Scheme as part of the A9 Dualling Programme.

The Perth-based company is the first to be awarded a contract under the A9 advance works framework and works are scheduled to begin on site at the beginning of April.

Elsewhere, a further deal carry out tree clearance along the route of the Luncarty to Birnam Scheme as part of the advance works programme is planned to be awarded by Transport Scotland in May.

Ground investigations necessary to provide detailed information for the four companies tendering for the main construction contract are now complete and archaeological excavations are continuing on the 9.5km Luncarty to Pass of Birnam section.

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A £500,000 contract for investigations was awarded to AOC Archaeology Group in January. The practice has completed its initial investigations and will continue to excavate key areas and document any finds over the coming months.

A construction contractor for the Luncarty to Pass of Birnam is expected to be appointed during the first half of this year.

Advance works, such as tree clearance, enable seasonal activities to be undertaken before the main construction contract is awarded, while ground investigation works undertaken at the early stages of a project can help inform the design process.

Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work: "It's great to see a locally-based SME securing contracts for these preliminary works on the next section of the A9 Dualling Programme.  We are working diligently towards our ambitious target of having dual-carriageway introduced to the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025.

"The Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project connects two existing sections of dual-carriageway and will make a significant difference to people's journeys when it's fully opened to traffic.

"As each section of road is finished, we are opening up Scotland for trade and tourism, which is helping to strengthen our economy."

(LM/MH)