The A9 between Perth and Inverness will be dual carriageway by 2025, the Scottish Government will announce next week.
The Courier has long called for the notorious stretch of road between Perth and Inverness to be converted. Its sweeping bends and switches from single to dual carriageway are regularly blamed for the high accident rate and terrible death toll on the route.
The Scottish Government was staying tight-lipped on the subject, but according to reports innovative investment models will be used to finance the project.
Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has been at the forefront of the dualling campaign. His petition website has attracted almost 12,000 signatures, many from friends and relatives of loved ones who have died on the road.
He said: ”Whilst it is important that we wait for an official announcement from the Scottish Government so that we can learn the full details of plans for upgrading the A9 between Perth and Inverness, if it is the case that we are now to have a real commitment to a dual carriageway then that is very welcome news.
”This road has been claiming too many lives, causing too many accidents and holding back our economy, and as a result I and other campaigners have been calling for a full timetable for dualling works to be set out for several years.
”Campaigners and families who have lost loved ones on the A9 want to see a full programme for A9 upgrades laid out as soon as possible. It is only right that for a project of this importance and size that the transport minister makes a statement in the Scottish Parliament so details and a full timetable can be laid out.”
Mr Fraser added: ”Dualling the A9 will be good for drivers, good for the economy, good for communities, good for connectivity, good for haulage and, most importantly, good for Scotland.”
A 2007 report by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and campaign group, Hitrans, put the financial boost from the dualling the A9 at almost £1 billion.
The A9 Perth to Inverness Economic Appraisal Study estimated journey times could be cut by 22 minutes. It predicted it would lead to 724 jobs being created in the short term and 4,500 over 30 years.
Since the SNP government came to power, work has been completed on the notorious Ballinluig junction near Pitlochry, and another accident blackspot at Bankfoot, north of Perth.
Projects at Helmsdale, Crubenmore and Carrbridge are finished, while the major scheme at Moy is due for completion by the end of the year.
The next works will be two-plus-one lanes at the Slochd summit and road widening between Kincraig and Dalraddy.