Nicola Sturgeon is facing growing pressure to set out a revised timetable to deliver “long-standing pledges” to dual the main roads linking Inverness with Aberdeen and Perth.
The two multibillion-pound road upgrade projects for the A9 and A96 have been hit by delays and doubts about the long-awaited dual carriageway work.
Former SNP government member Fergus Ewing asked the first minister at Holyrood to publish a timetable for both schemes, saying lives were lost on the A9 over the summer.
Three American tourists died in a crash involving a lorry and a car on the A9 Inverness to Perth road at Ralia, near Newtonmore, on August 10.
Mr Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, said his constituents believe “more lives are lost on single carriageway sections because unlike dual carriageways there is no central reservation separating opposing flows of traffic”.
He said Ms Sturgeon must deliver the SNP government’s “long-standing pledges ond ualling of the A9 and A96” and “help save lives in the future”.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon said road safety is of “paramount importance”.
She told MSPs that work continues on the A9 with the section between Tomatin and Moy “currently in procurement”.
A construction contract for this section is expected to be awarded “later this year”.
Work to upgrade 80 miles of the A9 between Inverness and Perth was originally pencilled-in for completion by 2025.
However, only two of the 11 sections have been dualled to date.
A96 dualling
Meanwhile, the government’s target for dualling the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen was initially to be 2030, but construction is yet to begin.
The A96 dualling programme between Aberdeen and Inverness was plunged into doubt after the SNP struck a power-sharing deals with the Greens last year.
Ms Sturgeon continued: “Design work is progressing on the rest of the programme with the statutory process well underway for seven of the remaining eight schemes.
“The evidence-based review on fully dualling the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen will report before the end of this year.
“And we will take forward enhancements on that corridor that improve connectivity between surrounding towns, tackles congestion and addresses safety and environmental issues.”
However, north-east Tory MSP Liam Kerr said the ongoing consultation on the A96 corridor did not offer the option of dualling the A96 between Huntly and Aberdeen.
He asked the first minister if that means the dualling of this stretch has been “quietly dropped” by ministers.
Nicola Sturgeon’s complete lack of response to my question spoke a thousand words.
North-east Tory MSP Liam Kerr.
Ms Sturgeon said: “There is no change to what we set out in the Bute House agreement and in terms of the processes that are under way on that, I have already given detail on that in response to my answers to Fergus Ewing.”
Speaking after FMQs, Mr Kerr said: “Nicola Sturgeon’s complete lack of response to my question spoke a thousand words.
“The review consultation consisted of more than 100 questions and not one mentioned dualling between Aberdeen and Huntly.
“It’s abundantly clear this SNP Government want to kick this upgrade into the long grass despite promising to dual the section more than a decade ago.”