A9 dualling

[Altnabreac]

I see that the Inquiry sessions for Tay Crossing to Ballinluig have been cancelled as well. Two remaining statutory objectors withdrew, while one objector (riparian rights owner) preferred to rest on written submissions.

Scheme by scheme updates:

Complete
A9 Kincraig - Dalraddy (September 2017)

Under Construction
A9 Luncarty - Pass of Birnam (February 2019)

Contract Let
none

Procurement Underway
none

Made Orders Published
none

Decision issued
A9 Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie (June 2019) https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDe ... ?ID=119863

Public Local Inquiry (PLI) report with Ministers
A9 Pitlochry to Killiecrankie (September 2019) https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDe ... ?ID=119865
2 objections (1 statutory landowner, 1 non-statutory) dealt with by written submission.
A9 Tomatin to Moy (October 2019) https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDe ... ?id=120174
Most objections withdrawn and hearing cancelled, remaining objections dealt with by written submissions.

Public Local Inquiry (PLI) report being written
A9 Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore (June 2019) https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDe ... ?ID=120011
Most objections withdrawn and hearing cancelled, remaining objections dealt with by written submissions.
A9 Tay Crossing to Ballinluig (October 2019) - https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDe ... ?ID=120312
Most objections withdrawn and hearing cancelled, remaining objections dealt with by written submissions.

Public Local Inquiry (PLI) Hearing sessions date set
A9 Killiecrankie to Glen Garry (13 January 2020) - https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDe ... ?ID=120283
Pre Enquiry meeting September 2019. 100+ objections remain, seems likely to actually go to the hearing sessions.

Public Local Inquiry (PLI) pre-inquiry meeting occurred
None

Public Local Inquiry (PLI) ordered
A9 Dalraddy to Slochd (13 January 2020) - https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDe ... ?id=120503
40+ objections, no date yet for pre inquiry meeting.

Draft Orders published - Exhibition held
A9 Crubenmore to Kincraig (October 2018) - https://www.transport.gov.scot/publicat ... -dualling/
Likely to be some serious objections especially around Insh Marshes viaduct from RSPB.

DMRB Stage 3 exhibition held (Interim detailed design consultation)
none

DMRB Stage 2 (Preferred Route) designs published
none

Pre Stage 2 Route Design Options exhibition
A9 Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing (May 2019)- https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/dro ... g-options/

Construction Time Estimates:
Luncarty - Pass of Birnam - 22 months
Tay Crossing to Ballinluig 2 - 2.5 years
Pitlochry to Killiecrankie 3 - 3.5 years
Killiecrankie to Glen Garry 3 - 3.5 years
Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie and Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore 3 - 3.5 years
Crubenmore - Kincraig 3.5 years
Dalraddy to Slochd 4.5 years
Tomatin to Moy 2.5 - 3 years

[A9Dan]

A9 Crubenmore to Kincraig (October 2018) - https://www.transport.gov.scot/publicat ... -dualling/
Likely to be some serious objections especially around Insh Marshes viaduct from RSPB.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-po ... -dualling/

The RSPB are no longer objecting to the length of the viaduct but still have several remaining objections. I wonder if Transport Scotland are trying to resolve these before sending the case over to the DPEA, hence the current delay?

[Altnabreac]

A9 Crubenmore to Kincraig (October 2018) - https://www.transport.gov.scot/publicat ... -dualling/
Likely to be some serious objections especially around Insh Marshes viaduct from RSPB.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-po ... -dualling/

The RSPB are no longer objecting to the length of the viaduct but still have several remaining objections. I wonder if Transport Scotland are trying to resolve these before sending the case over to the DPEA, hence the current delay?

Seems plausible. If they can tweak the design to remove the RSPB objection it would be worth delaying DPEA submission for. Especially as I understand the RSPB encouraged a lot of people to object so there may well be several hundred non statutory objectors on same grounds as RSPB.

[A9Dan]

Pre-enquiry meeting for Dalraddy to Schlod has now been scheduled for 3 December.

[B9127]

Will this mean that Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie will be let on its own? Also is the government now sitting on the made orders and not taking the next steps to let it go to procurement?

[Altnabreac]

Will this mean that Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie will be let on its own? Also is the government now sitting on the made orders and not taking the next steps to let it go to procurement?

Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie is likely to be let with the Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore scheme. The latter is now sitting with the DPEA reporter writing up the report. If the plan is to procure them together (which is only our speculation) then it may be that Made Orders for the former are on hold and will be published alongside the latter.

Dalraddy to Slochd and Crubenmore to Kincraig are two of the larger schemes and I would think likely to both be procured on their own.

[A9Dan]

The latter is now sitting with the DPEA reporter writing up the report.

Considering how long it is taking for this report on a single non-statutory objection to be written (5 months and counting), maybe it would have been better for TS to have continued working to resolve all the other objections (which it turns out they were able to do) before referring to the DPEA. The Transform Scotland Objection (non-statutory) could then have been dealt with directly by Scottish Ministers without needing to involve the DPEA as was the case for Kincraig to Dalraddy in 2014.

[A9Dan]

The report for Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore has now finally been issued to Scottish Minsiters, almost 6 months after TS submitted the modified CPO.


Status of all schemes:

Luncarty to Pass of Birnam: Under construction (started in February 2019).

Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing: Awaiting preferred route announcement following consultation on options developed since the co-creative process.

Tay Crossing to Ballinluig: Inquiry sessions cancelled, report will now be prepared for Scottish Ministers.

Pitlochry to Killiecrankie: Report issued to Scottish Ministers on 11 September 2019.

Killiecrankie to Glen Garry: Inquiry sessions to be held over 2 weeks starting 13 January 2020.

Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie: Decision issued confirming orders on 31 May 2019, the scheme now awaits Made Orders.

Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore: Report issued to Scottish Ministers (November 2019).

Crubenmore to Kincraig: Not yet with DPEA.

Kincraig to Dalraddy: Completed (September 2017).

Dalraddy to Schlod: Pre-inquiry meeting scheduled for 3 December 2019.

Tomatin to Moy: Report issued to Scottish Ministers (October 2019).

[Altnabreac]

The report for Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore has now finally been issued to Scottish Minsiters, almost 6 months after TS submitted the modified CPO.

Positive that we now have four schemes that are almost through the statutory process. Would be good to see the three awaiting ministerial decision get that fairly swiftly and have Made Orders for all four of them published early in 2020.

[Ronnie]

I’m all for consultation and due process but this is like drawing teeth. If only they could just crack on and build it. Do you think they’d bother with any of this nonsense in China or India?

[Berk]

Our courts don’t see things that way, which is why we have to have it...

[Glen]

Do you think they’d bother with any of this nonsense in China or India?

No, and you would have much say if a road was being built through your house, or a nuclear power station built next to it.

[Berk]

To be fair to the Chinese, they don’t automatically bulldoze the affected houses, they just build all the way around them - making life so intolerable you would eventually have no choice but to move.

[jervi]

Talking of quick building, have you seen that since the Russians Annexed Crimea 5 years ago, they have dualed the entire road between russia and Sevastopol (The main sea port in the west), both upgrading the current road by rebuilding it completely, or by building bypasses around villages, towns and cities. Nearly 300KM in total with maybe 25% left to be completed. Plus they built 40KM of dual carriageway on the Russian mainland to connect it to their highway network, and a new 18km bridge across the Strait of Kerch.

Not saying it's a good idea to be invaded by Russia, but maybe roads will be built a bit quicker.

[Herned]

I’m all for consultation and due process but this is like drawing teeth. If only they could just crack on and build it. Do you think they’d bother with any of this nonsense in China or India?

India, by virtue of 'inheriting' it's legal system from the UK, has very significant issues with development being constantly challenged in the courts, with projects held up for years and years

[DaStreetsweep]

Is there a realistic chance that perhaps two more sections will actually begin at some point during 2020?

[A9Dan]

Is there a realistic chance that perhaps two more sections will actually begin at some point during 2020?

Very unlikely, considering that procurement will at best take a year after Made Orders are published. As discussed earlier there is also some doubt over the future of all of the schemes due to pressure from the Greens for a review in light of the climate emergency; the SNP will need their their support to pass the budget. If the Scottish Government are able to proceed with the schemes though I would expect that they would want some of them to have started construction before the 2021 election.

[tommym8]

Talking of quick building, have you seen that since the Russians Annexed Crimea 5 years ago, they have dualed the entire road between russia and Sevastopol (The main sea port in the west), both upgrading the current road by rebuilding it completely, or by building bypasses around villages, towns and cities. Nearly 300KM in total with maybe 25% left to be completed. Plus they built 40KM of dual carriageway on the Russian mainland to connect it to their highway network, and a new 18km bridge across the Strait of Kerch.

Not saying it's a good idea to be invaded by Russia, but maybe roads will be built a bit quicker.

Probably more to do with the need to move military convoys than concern for the population.

[B9127]

Any chance of any announcements before xmas or will this all stutter on for another 6 months

[Berk]

Why has Crubenmore to Kincraig not been sent to DPEA yet??