The £10.2 million Balfour Beatty project which will carry the A96 over the Aberdeen-Inverness railway line, will end queuing at lights, improve journey time reliability and reduce the risk of bridge strikes and associated disruption.

Transport minister Derek MacKay, who visited the site today to see the final touches being put in place, said delivering this transport scheme underlines the Scottish Government’s wider commitment to improve transport connections right across the region.

He said: “For years drivers and local communities who use this section of the A96 have endured delays to their journeys with this bottleneck earning notoriety as one of the worst in the country. The old rail bridge was simply not fit for purpose and is why the Scottish Government committed to tackling a unique set of engineering challenges to help bring the A96 at this location up to 21st century standards.

“We wanted to ensure drivers and local communities who have waited patiently for the upgrade feel the benefits at the earliest opportunity, so I’m delighted that in just a few hours time, they will get the green light to drive on the new road.

“Inversamsay, which is on time and on budget, is emblematic of our wider commitment to delivering transport improvements right across the region.

“The 58km £745m Aberdeen bypass is on schedule to open to traffic in winter 2017, preparatory work is ongoing which will allow us to start construction of an upgraded Haudagain roundabout on completion of the new bypass, and early design and assessment work to dual the full length of the A96 from Aberdeen to Inverness is making good headway. We are also investing £170 million to strengthen rail infrastructure between both cities to help make journeys shorter, more frequent and more comfortable, and have committed £200m through the City Deal to upgrade the rail line between Aberdeen and the central belt. We have also invested in more trains which will mean from 2018 more local rail services across the north east rail network, and faster, more frequent links from Aberdeen to the central belt.”

Mr Mackay added: “We are determined to transform transport infrastructure right across the region and this much needed improvement here at Inveramsay Bridge underlines that the Scottish Government is getting on and doing just that.”

Balfour Beatty managing director, George Hood, said: “Balfour Beatty are delighted to have been working in close collaboration with Transport Scotland’s team to bring this project to a successful conclusion.

“We would like to thank the road users for their patience and regard for safety during construction works. We also thank our loyal and dedicated supply chain for helping us to get the new road open by the target date.”