Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson has hailed the start of the Scottish Government's latest upgrade of the A9 as a major step forward for driving safety in the Highlands.
Transport minister Stewart Stevenson will meet contractors and representatives from Highland Council at Etteridge Farm, just off the trunk road to launch work on the creation of a new 3.2km section of dual carriageway between Newtonmore and Dalwhinnie on a part of the important trunk route that is currently single carriageway.
Speaking in advance of the occasion, Mr Thompson said: "Work to upgrade the A9 is always going to be a difficult project, especially since opposition parties outvoted the minority SNP government to force the administration to spend a large proportion of the transport budget on the controversial new tram network for Edinburgh, " said Mr Thompson. "But, although Scotland's financial settlement from Westminster has been severely reduced, we are committed to improving this vitally important route.
"I hope this latest section of dual carriageway will help to reduce the horrendous death toll on a road that was left in an appalling state through decades of neglect by a succession of uncaring London governments that seemed to regard the needs of the north of Scotland as an irrelevance to their responsibilities to govern the UK.
"At long last we have a Scottish Government which is truly able to put the needs and interests of Scotland first, without having to worry what a party leadership in London will think."
Note:
Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson, is set to kick off works on the £10 million A9 Crubenmore scheme tomorrow morning (9 November). The scheme, which will dual a 3.2km stretch of Scotland's longest trunk road and will provide additional overtaking opportunities in both directions, is expected to be completed in late summer next year (2011).
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