No firm commitment to doubling the entire length of the A96 from Inverness to Aberdeen could be given by potential first ministers in the Inverness SNP leadership debate.
The SNP government previously committed to dual carriageway by 2030, however, a review of this program is still ongoing.
This includes the detours of Nairn, Elgin and Keith – communities that have been waiting for years for a sign of progress.
The SNP government has been accused of reversing its priority of harassing the main road between Inverness and Aberdeen because of its alliance with the Green Party, which opposes any new main road construction.
Hamza Yusuf has already pledged to make the Inverness to Nairn dualling project, including bypassing Nairn – one of the worst bottlenecks on the A96 at peak times – a priority if he becomes first minister.
He said: “I wouldn’t waste any time getting Inverness to Nairn, including the Nairn bypass, up and running.
“This isn’t just about connectivity, it’s about lives and safety, the A9 and the A96.
“The rest of the duels (A96) will be much more difficult (by 2030), and there is no getting away from it.
“People have been waiting a very long time from Inverness to Nairn, including the bypass.”
Ash Regan said she hopes the A96 will still be in the duo by 2030.
But, she added, “we need to reconsider these projects. We can’t keep communities waiting years and years for things we’ve been promised.”
“These roads are very dangerous and people lose their lives on these roads.”
I committed to “talking to the experts” and revisiting the A96 dualling project.
“Maybe we need to break these projects down into smaller pieces.”
Kate Forbes said the Scottish government has £5 billion in capital projects every year, which includes spending on roads, hospitals and schools.
“Our priorities must reflect the issues across Scotland and in the north we know roads are key,” she said.
“If there is a blockage on a major road in Glasgow, there will be outrage, and yet some of our roads, which are our main lifeline, have been closed for a long time.”
The Scottish Government’s Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), published in 2008, identified a number of transport priorities for the Inverness to Aberdeen corridor to be met by 2032.
These included: railway improvements, new stations at Kintore and Dalcross, strategic park and ride at Dyce, upgrading of the A96 to a dual carriageway between Inverness and Nairn, a bypass for Nairn and a new bridge at Inveramsay.
This was followed in 2014 by Perseverance’s Strategic Business Case (SBC), which recommended a full A96 switch between Inverness and Aberdeen as the best option.
However, in the wake of the SNP’s alliance with the Green Party, a full review of A96 corridor options has been implemented, and is ongoing, with a view to prioritizing 2022-2042.
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