Breedon Aggregates has been handed a £10million contract to supply building materials for the first phase of dualling work on the A9 Perth to Inverness, the firm said yesterday.
The objective of the first stage is to convert a five-mile stretch of the A9 between Kincraig and Dalraddy from single carriageway to dual carriageway.
Breedon is a subcontractor on the £35million project, south of Aviemore, which will get under way later this year and continue into 2017.
Wills Bros John Paul JV Ltd, a joint venture between Wills Bros Civil Engineering and John Paul Construction, is the main contractor.
Derby-headquartered Breedon said it would build a new concrete plant and a mobile asphalt plant at its Meadowside quarry near Kingussie to service the contract.
Breedon said the proximity of the quarry and the plants to the site would reduce traffic disruption and reduce the firm’s fuel costs.
It will supply about 880,000 cubic feet of concrete and around 100,000 tonnes of asphalt to the project, as well as large amounts of drystone.
Alan Mackenzie, chief executive of Breedon’s Scottish business, said: “This contract underpins our order book for the current year and secures a significant amount of work for our Meadowside quarry over the next 12-18 months.
“The A9 is the main route between north and south Scotland, but has been hampered for many years by long stretches of single carriageway. We’re delighted to be playing our part in reducing future journey times on this critical artery and making it a much safer road to drive on in years to come.
“We look forward to supporting Wills Bros John Paul JV Limited and this will also allow Breedon to create great opportunities for employment in the local area on this prestigious contract.”
The Kincraig to Dalraddy transformation is part of a wider, £3billion project to dual 80 miles of single carriageway along the A9, vastly shortening journey times between the Highland capital and the .
Breedon’s Dundee-based Scottish division operates 38 quarries, 17 asphalt plants and 36 ready-mix concrete plants north of the border, directly employing more than 700 people.
It opened a new asphalt plant at the Daviot quarry just south of Inverness on Friday.