Controversial roadworks on the A9 near Dunkeld are set to resume on Monday – lasting until the week before Christmas.
Drivers reported delays of up to three hours when the SGN project got under way last month.
It caused huge tailbacks for customers and staff heading to the Enchanted Forest event in Pitlochry.
SGN put a temporary halt to the work and removed the traffic lights earlier this week to minimise disruption for the final days of the event.
A9 Dunkeld roadworks to resume ‘first thing’ on Monday
But drivers are now being reminded that the project will resume “first thing” on Monday (November 6) – sparking fresh concerns of more misery for motorists.
The works will be paused from the week of December 18 until early January but then resume until late February.
SGN says the project to install a pipeline between Birnam and Logierait is essential.
A letter sent to residents on November 1 said: “Keeping our gas network safe and secure for all the communities we serve is a priority for us.
“One of our high-pressure pipelines which forms part of the country’s critical gas transportation infrastructure, and which runs close to the river Tay, is being affected by riverbank erosion.
“Because of this, we need to decommission the section of the pipeline at risk and replace it with a new high-density plastic pipe which is 14km long and will run between Birnam and Logierait.
“Please be aware this gas infrastructure is essential for the safe and secure supply of gas to thousands of homes across the region, including to Aberfeldy, Birnam, Dunkeld, and Pitlochry.
“This is a complex, multi-million-pound engineering project which began construction in June 2023 with the building of a new transmission regulator station (TRS) in Birnam.”
MSP wants A9 Dunkeld roadworks paused ‘completely’
John Swinney, MSP for the area, is unhappy that the project is resuming – and plans to meet with SGN again to put his case across.
He told The Courier: “I was pleased that, following my interventions, SGN agreed to pause their roadworks for this coming weekend and has committed to re-assessing their overall roadworks strategy.
“I also note that SGN have confirmed that they will cease works from December 18 until the first week of January.
“However, I still maintain the view that the level of disruption being caused by these roadworks is untenable over an 18-week period.
“To that end, I believe it would be appropriate for SGN to pause their works completely until they formulate a less disruptive proposal.”
Fellow Perthshire MSP Murdo Fraser says there is a “high degree of scepticism” about whether measures to mitigate a build-up of traffic will be effective.
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