Scottish Government highlights completed central belt projects to explain A9 dualling delay amid criticism
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A section of the A9 that is to be dualled but delays have hit the majority of sections.
The Scottish Government has responded to criticism of the “glacial pace” of work on the A9 by highlighting how, at the same time, it improved the Central Belt motorway network and delivered a ring-road around Aberdeen.
It came after serious criticism from a leading industry body of Transport Scotland saying that the body is regarded “across the UK as the worst client to work for in the UK” with an outdated procurement process.
In its response to the claims, the government admitted that the number of tenders for projects had fallen which was “in part due to the terms and conditions set out in the contract, including risk transfer.
But highlighting successfully completed projects in the south and north east, the government and Transport Scotland will fuel concerns they are Central Belt-centric in while leaving other parts of the country lagging far behind.
A government spokesperson has said: “We have already invested over £430 million delivering the programme with road users already benefiting from the dualled sections between Kincraig and Dalraddy and Luncarty and the Pass of Birnam.
“This investment has been made alongside the successful delivery of numerous other significant investments by this government including the Queensferry Crossing, Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and M8/M73/M74 Motorway Improvements Project.”
They went on: “Transport Scotland has a long record of successful procurement which balances the need to attract competition from the marketplace with protecting the public purse.
“Whilst the design and build works contract has been successfully implemented for over 20 years, they do acknowledge that recent years have seen a decline in the number of tenderers, in part due to the terms and conditions set out in the contract, including risk transfer.
“A market engagement exercise has been undertaken with industry partners, including The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), to consider changes to better reflect current market conditions and risks to maximise interest and competition ahead of the new procurement for the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project.”
The spokesperson added: “Transport Scotland welcomes CECA’s contribution as an interested party as it considers the most appropriate approach to balancing the need to generate effective tender competition with the importance of protecting the public purse.
“This is a complex process, and we need to carefully guard against any unintended consequences.”
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