Jacobs has won the second of three £40M-£60M design contracts from Transport Scotland for the A9 Perth to Inverness dualling programme.
The firm will design a 32 mile stretch of the £3Bn project between the Pass of Birnam and Glen Garry. Subject to the mandatory standstill period Jacobs will start work on the section of the route nearest to Perth next month.
This appointment adds to the first design contract for a 43 km of the scheme between Glen Garry and Dalraddy, which was awarded in May to CH2MHill/Fairhurst.
The third and final design contract to dual the A9 between Dalraddy and Inverness is expected to be awarded by the end of this year.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “I am proud that I am part of the only government to commit to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness. This second major contract is another step forward for this mammoth project, and underlines our determination to bring forward benefits to road users as soon as we can.”
“This multi million pound investment also complements other work being progressed on the ground to improve the safety and performance of the A9, with the installation of average speed cameras for implementation this October and ground investigation work is also progressing well on the Kincraig-Dalraddy scheme, which we expect to begin construction in 2015/16.
“We remain on track to deliver half of the 80 miles of new upgraded road by 2022, with completion expected by 2025.”
The A9 dualling project is designed to deliver economic growth through the creaton of jobs, improvements to road safety and journey times as well as better links to pedestrian, cycling and public transport facilities. It will also provide greater access to the many tourism and recreation sites along the route of Scotland's longest trunk road.
