BEAR Scotland has announced £330,000 worth of surfacing improvement works and £25,000 worth of landscaping maintenance, for the A9 southbound in Perth.

Starting on Friday 14 January, the surfacing improvements will address defects in the road surface on the southbound section of the A9 between Inveralmond Roundabout and McDiarmid Junction. The landscaping works will involve teams improving the woodland strip adjacent to the southbound carriageway between Old Gallows Road Overbridge and Broxden Roundabout.

The project is expected to begin on Friday 14 January and has been planned to take place across three consecutive weekends. The programme of work is as follows:

• Phase one – Friday 14 January to Monday 17 January

To ensure the safety of roadworkers and motorists during the surfacing improvements, the A9 southbound will be closed between Inveralmond Roundabout and McDiarmid Junction. The closure will be in place from 7.30pm on Friday 14 January until 6.30am on Monday 17 January. Motorists will be diverted along Dunkeld Road and Crieff Road to McDiarmid on-slip. HGV traffic will be diverted along Ruthvenfield Road to McDiarmid on-slip. A lane closure will also be in place from the McDiarmid on-slip to Broxden Roundabout to allow teams to conduct landscape improvements.

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• Phase two – Saturday 22 January to Sunday 23 January

To ensure the safety of roadworkers as well as motorists during landscape works, a lane closure will be in place on the A9 southbound between Old Gallows Road Overbridge until just before the approach to Broxden Roundabout. The lane closure will be in place from 8am Saturday to 6pm on Sunday 23 January.

• Phase three – Saturday 29 January to Sunday 30 January

To ensure the safety of roadworkers as well as motorists during landscape works, a lane closure will be in place on the A9 southbound between Old Gallows Road Overbridge until just before the approach to Broxden Roundabout. The lane closure will be in place from 8am Saturday to 6pm on Sunday 30 January.

Consultation has taken place with all relevant stakeholders in advance of the surfacing and landscape improvements to make them aware of the traffic management arrangements.

Commenting on the improvements, Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North East Unit Representative, said: "This investment from Transport Scotland will help address any defects in the road surface on the A9 between Inveralmond Roundabout and McDiarmid Junction. Our landscaping teams will also be carrying out essential improvements to the woodland strip which will ensure the continued safe operation of the network.

"We’ve taken steps to minimise disruption for motorists as much as possible during the surfacing improvements by implementing a secondary diversion which should ease congestion on Ruthvenfield Road. Traffic signals at McDiarmid will also be altered to support the additional traffic flow.

"Wide Loads are advised that as the A9 southbound is being closed, we are regrettably unable to offer an alternative route through local roads. Arrangements should therefore be made to change route or date of travel.

"We thank motorists for their patience in advance while our teams carry out these essential improvements on the A9 in Perth. We encourage road users to plan their journeys in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up to date traffic information and allow some extra time to reach their destination."