A9 dualling

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A9Craig
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by A9Craig »

The timeline for Luncarty to Pass of Birnam went something like -

Month 0 - Made Orders
Month 8 - Shortlist of bidders announced
Month 20 - Preferred bidder announced
Month 26 - Start of construction

Things went far quicker for Kincraig to Dalraddy. Made Orders to start of construction was only 12 months, but this was a shorter, less complex scheme. I think the timeline for Tomatin to Moy will be roughly similar to Luncarty to Pass of Birnam, which would tie in with the statement "it is expected that the contract will be awarded in the second half of 2022".
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by B9127 »

I would have thought another easy section would have been Tay Crossing to Ballinluig where there seems to be be only one major structure - would have increased the the overtaking possibilities after the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section which will be probably be the last section to be built
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jackal
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by jackal »

Tay Crossing to Ballinluig does not have made orders unlike four of the other sections (Tomatin, Dalwhinnie, Glen Garry, Pitlochrie). It will be one of the last to be done I think, possibly just before the adjacent Pass of Birnam to Tay.

The Tomatin tender is £115m. Do we have recent estimates for other forthcoming sections? (Admittedly, the main works contract is not the whole cost.)
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by Mikehannah »

Tomatin is a logical choice, it has no major obstacles(eg rivers) is mostly non developed land so their should be little problem with the compulsory purchase process and it links two existing sections.

I admit I would prefer to see a section developed in one of the longer contra flow “drags” but it is a good choice .

I will hope this is not the last section but I will be surprised if ground is broken on another!! There is no reason why the other remaining sections at “ made orders “ stage should not be progressed but I doubt they will be .
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jackal
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by jackal »

There is £310m for new A9 sections up to 2026. That should be enough for Tomatin and one more (a good chunk of the budget will be set aside for developing the remaining schemes). Pitlochrie to Killiecrankie is quite complex with the river bridges, so I think the second scheme will be Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie or Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore.
A9Dan
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by A9Dan »

Decision issued today for Tay Crossing to Ballinluig confirming that the orders should be made.


Current status of all schemes as of 8 March 2021:

Luncarty to Pass of Birnam: Under construction (started in February 2019, temporarily suspended in 2020 due to coronavirus).

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

Tay Crossing to Ballinluig: Decision issued confirming orders on 8 March 2021.

Pitlochry to Killiecrankie: Decision issued confirming orders on 11 February 2020.

Killiecrankie to Glen Garry: Inquiry sessions held over 2 weeks starting 13 January 2020, report now being prepared for Scottish Ministers.

Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie: Decision issued confirming orders on 31 May 2019.

Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore: Decision issued confirming orders on 3 December 2020.

Crubenmore to Kincraig: Inquiry sessions cancelled, report now being prepared for Scottish Ministers (Transport Scotland response to remaining objections submitted in February 2021).

Kincraig to Dalraddy: Completed (September 2017).

Dalraddy to Schlod: Inquiry sessions cancelled, report now being prepared for Scottish Ministeres. Modified draft CPO submitted on 9 October 2020.

Tomatin to Moy: Made Orders published on 26 February 2021. Contract expected to be awarded in the second half of 2022.
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by Mikehannah »

So essentially we have four sections that could go to the next stage , which I am assuming is purchasing the land but no new ground will be broken until late 2022 at the earliest.
I am begining to wonder what century this project will be completed let alone decade !!
A9Dan
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by A9Dan »

https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/sig ... -approval/

Go-ahead for Tay Crossing to Ballinluig, Pitlochry to Killiecrankie, Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie and Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore to progress to the Made Orders stage, publication expected in the coming moths. Reports for Killiekrankie to Glen Garry, Crubenmore to Kincraig and Dalraddy to Slochd also expected to be submitted to Scottish Ministers in the coming months with a preferred route for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing expected later this year.

Delivery of the remainder of the schemes (including the four given the go-ahead to progress to Made Orders) is however subject to engagement with industry representatives to "balance the considerable benefits of the programme against financial risk and any impacts on local communities". This engagement is expected to be completed in summer 20201.
Last edited by A9Dan on Thu Mar 11, 2021 00:25, edited 1 time in total.
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Euan
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by Euan »

A9Dan wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:20 https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/sig ... -approval/

Go-ahead for Tay Crossing to Ballinluig, Pitlochry to Killiecrankie, Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie and Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore to progress to the Made Orders stage, publication expected in the coming moths. Reports for Killiekrankie to Glen Garry, Crubenmore to Kincraig and Dalraddy to Slochd also expected to be submitted to Scottish Ministers in the coming months with a preferred route for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing expected later this year.

Delivery of the remainder of the schemes (including the four given the go-ahead to progress to Made Orders) is however subject to engagement with industry representatives to "balance the considerable benefits of the programme against financial risk and impacts on local communities". This engagement is expected to be completed in summer 20201.
Would that mean that these next four schemes could potentially enter the construction phase at around the same time? It sounds like they are all only around a few months or so behind Tomatin to Moy in the process.
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IAN
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by IAN »

Euan wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 16:19 Would that mean that these next four schemes could potentially enter the construction phase at around the same time? It sounds like they are all only around a few months or so behind Tomatin to Moy in the process.
Unlikely, due to the lack of allocated funding - see earlier posts.
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Euan
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by Euan »

Yes, that is what I was wondering. It certainly does seem like some of the schemes will have to be put on hold until such a time when funding allows them to continue.
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A9Craig
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by A9Craig »

A9Dan wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:20 https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/sig ... -approval/
This engagement is expected to be completed in summer 20201.
Thought you were talking about the co-creative process there :D

It's possible these 4 schemes could all start construction in 2023, so they might all be completed by the end of 2025. Politically, it would be something to shout about to have 7 of the 11 schemes completed by the target date. I guess they won't be mentioning that less than 50% of the A9 Dualling (in terms of miles) has been completed though.
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A72
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by A72 »

A9Dan wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:20This engagement is expected to be completed in summer 20201.
At this rate, I think even that is an optimistic estimate.
A9Dan wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:20....with a preferred route for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing expected later this year.
Let's hope that *silly roundabout is quietly forgotten about.

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Re: A9 dualling

Post by orudge »

A72 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 16:51 Let's hope that *silly roundabout is quietly forgotten about.
Perhaps that’s why it’s taking so long - they’re trying to think of a delicate way to word “we don’t want to stick a roundabout on our new shiny otherwise grade-separated road” (though it hasn’t stopped them before, of course!)
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by Glen »

The roundabout idea isn't going to happen. It was decided in the DMRB stage 1 assessment that the entire dualling strategy will be to construct a category 7A dual carriageway with access only via grade separated junctions or in limited cases left-in/left-out junctions.
A roundabout isn't compatible with those objectives.
Last edited by Glen on Wed Mar 10, 2021 21:22, edited 1 time in total.
A9Craig
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by A9Craig »

The only roundabout you'll ever see in the 109 miles between Longman and Inveralmond is the temporary one planned just north of the Jubilee Bridge over the Tay.

In future years, will we be talking about the "Dunkeld Gap"?
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by SteelCamel »

A9Craig wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 20:51 The only roundabout you'll ever see in the 109 miles between Longman and Inveralmond is the temporary one planned just north of the Jubilee Bridge over the Tay.

In future years, will we be talking about the "Dunkeld Gap"?
There's supposed to be a new flyover at Longman Roundabout at some point, so if everything planned gets built it will be uninterrupted dual carriageway from Tore to Inveralmond.
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jackal
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by jackal »

I'm far from convinced that the roundabout is off the table. 3 of the 4 latest designs (May 2019) had the roundabout, including 2 of the 3 'additional' options: https://www.transport.gov.scot/publicat ... -dualling/

It's neither here nor there that GSJs were demanded at an earlier stage. It's a very common thing for design parameters to change in the face of community engagement - that's rather the point.

My interpretation is that what they want to lose from the dreaded "community's option" is the 1.5km cut and cover tunnel - none of the additional options featured this huge cost element. The DMRB stage 2 will probably come back showing that this option is not cost effective.

A side effect of that is that the GSJ may well be back on the table, as it couldn't be built with the tunnel. But I think it's getting things backwards to say that Transport Scotland or the govt are desperate for the GSJ - the tunnel is the real sticking point.
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by haggishunter »

jackal wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 08:19
A side effect of that is that the GSJ may well be back on the table, as it couldn't be built with the tunnel. But I think it's getting things backwards to say that Transport Scotland or the govt are desperate for the GSJ - the tunnel is the real sticking point.
But other options retain some length of cut and cover tunnel because of the lack of space at the station - it’s the end nearest the proposed roundabout that would be kept. Isn’t it an option to simply have no junction at all here, given some options have a full junction at the Southern end of Birnam?
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jackal
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Re: A9 dualling

Post by jackal »

haggishunter wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:19
jackal wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 08:19
A side effect of that is that the GSJ may well be back on the table, as it couldn't be built with the tunnel. But I think it's getting things backwards to say that Transport Scotland or the govt are desperate for the GSJ - the tunnel is the real sticking point.
But other options retain some length of cut and cover tunnel because of the lack of space at the station - it’s the end nearest the proposed roundabout that would be kept. Isn’t it an option to simply have no junction at all here, given some options have a full junction at the Southern end of Birnam?
Additional option 1 has the 150m underpass, which is indeed incompatible with the GSJ.

Additional options 2 and 3 have no tunnel or underpass (except for pedestrians). I think they just vary on whether they have the GSJ (2 does).

No junction would make access to Dunkeld from the A9 north very circuitous and would sever the A822!

Transport Scotland have rather painted themselves into a corner with the 'co-creative process'. Even if they manage to back away from the 1.5km tunnel it would be quite hard for them to refuse even the underpass. So I think the roundabout is still quite likely. More likely still the scheme will just get parked for someone else to deal with. By putting the tunnel on the table they have basically turned this into Scotland's version of Stonehenge, with the timescale that implies.
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