WATCH: More questions emerge for transport minister over A9 dualling
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Tonight the Scottish Government, the transport minister Jenny Gilruth and Transport Scotland are mired in controversy after admitting the A9 dualling could not be finished by the deadline of 2025.
But more and more questions are emerging about the process, including when Ms Gilruth learned the programme would be late and what the government expects the new deadline to be.
Highland MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston asked Ms Gilruth these questions but did not receive any response to the former and was told it was a work in progress on the latter, something that did not inspire his confidence given the recent announcement.
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He said: “This news will come as no surprise to anyone. Those who live in communities along the A9, or who regularly use the road, have known for some time that the promised 2025 date was going to be missed.
“But while the SNP have finally admitted this, we have no new timetable for delivery, no new estimate on costs and no apology.
“The minister wouldn’t even tell me how many years behind this project actually is, or even come clean on when she was first told the 2025 date wasn’t going to be met.
“Local communities have been kept in the dark for years on when – and even, if – this project will ever be completed. This latest update provides only more uncertainty”.
Ms Gilrtuh said: “Work on that is on-going, as I have said, and will report later in the year. I would like to come back to the Parliament later this year to give an update and reassurance in relation to the deadline.
“Of course, we have to fulfil statutory processes when carrying out any major roads project in Scotland. It is clear that market conditions at the current time would not have allowed us to deliver the full dualling programme within the original timescale as previously set out, regardless of the delivery model that we choose.
“Therefore, we are looking at the optimal delivery programme to give certainty to the public. I recognise Jamie Halcro Johnston’s point in that regard.
“That is why, of course, I have been working closely with MSPs, including him, on how we can better work with communities to ensure that they understand the next steps for the programme.
She added: “To that end, I have written to members this afternoon to invite them to engage with me and Transport Scotland on the next steps in the delivery of the project.”
