Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd has been awarded the construction contract to dual the A9 between Tomatin and Moy.

The contract award, announced by the Scottish Government, marks the final phase in the procurement process which, subject to the successful completion of a mandatory standstill period, will conclude in the coming weeks with the contract being awarded to Balfour Beatty.

The contract, which is worth £184.7 million, will, once awarded, kickstart the Government's rolling programme of work to achieve its delivery plan for A9 Dualling, between Perth and Inverness by 2035.

The dualling works between Tomatin to Moy will upgrade 9.6km (6 miles) of single carriageway to dual carriageway and, when complete, will provide approximately 33km (20 miles) of continuous dual carriageway between Inverness and Slochd.

The project will bring benefits to road users, communities and businesses who live along or use this vital connecting route for the Highlands and Islands. In addition to providing safer and more efficient roads, the project will provide over 10km (6.2 miles) of improvements to active travel routes and greater connections to public transport.

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Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: "I am pleased to announce our intention to award the contract for Tomatin to Moy to Balfour Beatty. Once work starts on Tomatin to Moy, it will not stop until dualling between Perth and Inverness is complete.

"The award of this contract for A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy will start our rolling programme of construction to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness and reinforces our steadfast commitment to deliver on our plan.

"Major transport infrastructure supports the local community and businesses, providing jobs and delivering economic growth throughout the project and beyond. It has been fantastic to see the impact contractors working on the advance works have already brought to the local community, and I look forward to delivering further benefits to local businesses and communities through our investment in the construction of this section."

This contract for the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy follows the successful completion of advance works in 2021 and 2022, including the replacement of Lynebeg Underbridge on the Highland Main Line railway, the establishment of an ecological pond to support translocation of a rare fly species ahead of the dualling works as well as upgraded active travel and public transport infrastructure, archaeological investigations and outreach work with local schools.

Benefits from the advance works are already being seen in the local area, with pupils from Grantown Grammar and local primary schools taking part in archaeology workshops. The contractor for the advance works also provided local work-experience placements for students and apprenticeships and opportunities for local Small and Medium Enterprises.

The main works will build on these efforts, supporting local businesses, tourism and communities in the area by improving access to and from the Highlands with enhanced active travel access to businesses and facilities used regularly by the public and tourists.