Minister for transport Graeme Dey has advised that latest information from the contractor Farrans indicates a revised date for completing the works, with the improvement now opening to traffic by the end of March 2022.

Mr Dey said: “The construction of the A92/A96 Haudagain Improvement project is well advanced and remains within budget. The latest information from our contractor now indicates an anticipated date for completion of works allowing roads to open to traffic by the end of March 2022.

“The contractor has reported impacts to programme critical work within the previous month due to adverse weather from Storm Arwen and Storm Barra. Until these recent events our contractor had been able to maintain an anticipated completion date within the Winter 2021 period, despite the challenges posed throughout 2021 by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and industry-wide supply chain issues.

“We have consistently highlighted the potential risk such events could have in causing a delay to the expected completion date for this project. Likewise this revised date remains subject to no further disruption from events such as adverse weather or impacts from the ongoing pandemic.”

Commenting further on the construction of the project, Mr Dey added: “I understand the completion of this project is keenly anticipated by local people, not least to lessen the impacts from its construction. I’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding to date and assure them Transport Scotland continues to engage with the contractor as they work to finish the work as quickly and safely as possible.

“We are also keen that local people and those using the route benefit from the improvements it will bring with reduced congestion, a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists as well as improved journey time reliability. We will continue to keep local people, Parliament, and stakeholders up to date with progress on the project.”

The project, which was anticipated to be complete in winter 2021 has faced a number of challenges over the year including the impact of the pandemic continuing to disrupt progress with key work having to be rescheduled due to Covid-19 disruption to the contractor’s own and its sub-contractors’ workforces.

Industry-wide supply chain issues have also affected the availability of materials and whilst the contractor has put in place measures to mitigate these issues as far as possible by re-sequencing work and sourcing from alternative suppliers, this has had a knock-on effect to timescales.

A large proportion of the remaining work, including the laying of road surfacing, was unable to be carried out during recent adverse weather including Storm Arwen and Storm Barra.