A96 dualling timeline - Missed deadlines and delays to long awaited Aberdeen to Inverness dualling project
On Thursday, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop confirmed that plans to dual the A96 fully between Inverness and Aberdeen by 2030 had been dropped.
Her statement, which followed the publication of a review which suggested that the Scottish Government could drop the plans altogether, was criticised by opposition parties despite Ms Hyslop’s insistence that the government is still fully committed to dualling the key route.
We have taken a look back at some of the key developments of the ongoing saga from over the years.
December 2011
The initial promise to dual the whole route was made by former First Minister Alex Salmond’s government in December 2011.
It was hoped that by doing so the dual carriageway network between every Scottish city would be complete.
November 2013
Route options for the proposal were first presented to members of the public in November 2013.
In 2016 it was projected to cost £3 billion and was expected to be delivered by 2030.
January 2018
Campaigners from the Save Bennachie group took their fight to Holyrood to hold talks with MSPs urging them to avoid the north east landmark. It was subsequently agreed that potential routes near the hill would be ruled out.
November 2020
A Northern Scot investigation earlier this year revealed that doubts regarding the 2030 completion date started to arise in 2020.
Emails obtained through freedom of information requests showed then Transport Secretary Michael Matheson, Transport Scotland officials and civil servants agreeing to remove the pledge from a report in November of that year.
When asked about the emails in February this year, the Scottish Government refused to admit it had scrapped the deadline.
February 2021
In February 2021, then Fist Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted that proposals to dual not only the A96 but also the A9 by their respective timescales were “ambitious”.
The ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was blamed at the time with Ms Sturgeon stating that the government would need to “consider what that impact will be going forward”.
Summer 2021
Just a few months later one of the most key developments for the future of the A96 dualling project happened when the SNP and Greens agreed a power-sharing deal.
It was agreed between the parties that a climate review would be carried out to fully assess the environmental impact of the plans and in turn, establish whether the road should be fully dualled.
The findings were meant to be published in December 2022 but the deadline was missed while figures have revealed that the review has cost the taxpayer millions.
March 2024
In March this year plans to dual the A96 between Inverness and Nairn took a step forward when Ms Hyslop revealed that work to acquire land for the project was underway.
The section of road is exempt from the climate review which focuses on the rest of the route.
November 2024
After multiple delays, draft plans for the A96 Corridor Review were published on November 28.
It set out a “refined” package of eight options which consultants score more favourably than fully dualling the route.
It will now go out for a 12-week public consultation and while the Scottish Government says it is still committed to fully dualling the A96, no revised completion date for the project has been given.
