A9 Dualling Remains Government Priority, Says First Minister

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to dualling the A9, insisting the long-running infrastructure project remains a key priority.

Mr Swinney was speaking ahead of a site visit to the Tomatin to Moy section of the road, one of 11 stretches being upgraded as part of the wider programme. During the visit, he is due to meet representatives from Balfour Beatty and Transport Scotland, who are overseeing construction on the scheme.

Speaking to STV, the First Minister said the government remains fully committed to completing the project, highlighting recent progress on the Moy to Tomatin section, including construction of the Moy rail bridge.

“This is a major piece of engineering and shows the scale of the work underway,” he said. “The government has put the resources in place, and plans are progressing to ensure the dualling of the A9 can be completed by 2035. Different stages are moving forward, and the programme is advancing at pace to deliver the road in a timely way.”

Mr Swinney added that as work gathers momentum at both the northern and southern ends of the route, visible progress is becoming clearer.

“I’m encouraged by the tangible progress being made on Scotland’s longest road. This should give businesses and residents across the Highlands confidence that delivering the benefits of dualling the A9 remains a priority for this government,” he said.

The A9 dualling programme will see 83 miles of road between Perth and Inverness upgraded from single to dual carriageway. The total cost of the scheme is estimated at £3.97 billion, based on April 2025 prices.

First announced in 2011, the project was originally scheduled for completion by 2025 but is now expected to be finished by 2035.