The outcomes from a detailed appraisal carried out as part of the A96 Corridor Review were released yesterday ahead of a 12-week public consultation.

Undertaken by Transport Scotland as part of the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens, this part of the corridor review involved a detailed appraisal of several ‘packages’ of improvements for the corridor.

The Scottish Government said its current position is still to fully dual the A96 and with the statutory procedures completed, Transport Scotland is pressing ahead with the final stages to acquire the land required to construct the dualling of the A96 between Inverness to Nairn and the Nairn Bypass, along with the adjacent A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton project.

The detailed appraisal of all the evidence undertaken by Transport Scotland includes full dualling and a list of other options including a multi-modal ‘Refined Package’ of options.

The cost of full dualling east of Nairn to Aberdeen is estimated in the range of £2.5 billion to £5bn (at 2022 prices) which compares with a range of £501 million to £1bn for the Refined Package. That is why, along with its performance in relation to the assessment criteria, the appraisal has identified that the Refined Package of options is the optimal one.

The Refined Package aims to address the problems and opportunities within the corridor through a multi-modal approach to transport investment, delivering multi-modal benefits across the corridor.

Speaking after making a statement to Parliament, cabinet secretary for transport Fiona Hyslop said: “The Scottish Government’s position has not changed – we remain in favour of full dualling of the A96. However, it is important local people, businesses and communities are given the opportunity to help inform the government’s final decision on how to take forward improvements to the A96 Corridor.

“That decision will also have to balance the demands of the challenging economic climate and the climate emergency.

“Since we announced our intention to fully dual the A96 in 2011, a lot has changed, including 14 years of austerity, and ongoing cost pressures that have impacted the Scottish budget.

“We also agreed to undertake a corridor review, a lengthy and complex process, which has taken longer than initially anticipated because of the huge interest and engagement from the public.

“These delays now mean that we will not complete dualling of the A96 by the original anticipated timeline of 2030. 

“However, we will continue to make progress with the statutory procedures already completed and work underway to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering dualling of the key section of road between Inverness and Nairn.

“No decisions on the final outcome from this Review will be determined until we hear from the public and consider their views from this 12 week consultation. People have until 21 February 2025 to get involved.”

Before any final decision is taken on the way ahead, the Scottish Government wants to hear the views of people and communities, businesses, wider road users and others on the findings of the Corridor Review.