Transport Scotland Launches £1.94bn Framework to Deliver Final Stages of A9 Upgrade

Transport Scotland has taken a major step towards completing the long-awaited dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness, opening procurement for a framework worth almost £2 billion to deliver the project's remaining sections.

The new framework, valued at £1.94bn, will be used to appoint contractors for five outstanding stretches of the route that have yet to enter the procurement process. Together, these sections account for more than 92km of dual carriageway construction and associated infrastructure works.

To attract a broad range of contractors and improve delivery flexibility, the framework has been split into two categories. The first covers three packages valued below £400m each, while the second comprises two larger contracts worth more than £400m apiece.

The five sections included within the framework are:

• Glen Garry to Crubenmore (20.5km) – £336m

• Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing (8.4km) – £266m

• Crubenmore to Kincraig (16.5km) – £344m

• Dalraddy to Slochd (25km) – £553m

• Killiecrankie to Glen Garry (22km) – £438m

Transport Scotland said the framework has been designed to provide greater certainty to the construction market while encouraging earlier contractor involvement during design and planning stages. The approach is intended to improve collaboration, manage risk more effectively and support more efficient delivery of the remaining works.

The A9 dualling programme is one of Scotland's largest transport investments, with plans to upgrade 133.5km of the strategic route between Perth and Inverness. Originally divided into 11 sections, the project has experienced significant delays over the past decade, prompting criticism from industry bodies and repeated calls for a revised delivery strategy.

Following a programme reset, the Scottish Government has committed to completing the entire route by the end of 2035. Current forecasts suggest half of the route will be dualled by 2030, rising to 67% by 2032 and more than 90% by 2034.

Progress is already being made on several sections. More than 16km of dual carriageway has been completed, while approximately 17km is currently under construction. A further package between Pitlochry and Killiecrankie, valued at £205m, is progressing through procurement and is expected to be awarded later this year. Balfour Beatty, Kier Transportation and Wills Bros Civil Engineering have all been shortlisted for the contract.

Elsewhere along the corridor, Balfour Beatty continues work on the Tomatin to Moy section, while Wills Bros is delivering the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig upgrade.

The new framework will operate for four years and has been developed following consultation with the construction sector. Contracts are expected to use NEC4 procurement models, including both fixed-price and target-cost options, providing flexibility for sections involving complex engineering challenges such as river crossings and environmentally sensitive landscapes.

Alongside improving journey reliability and safety on one of Scotland's most important transport corridors, the programme is expected to deliver wider economic benefits. Transport Scotland says future contracts will include requirements to support local supply chains, create

apprenticeship and graduate opportunities, and encourage low-carbon construction practices.

The agency points to the ongoing Tomatin to Moy project as evidence of the programme's local impact, with more than £2.3m already spent with regional SMEs and over a third of the workforce recruited locally.

Interested contractors can access procurement documents through Public Contracts Scotland, with the framework set to play a central role in delivering the final phase of one of Scotland's most significant road infrastructure projects.