Speed limit on six-mile stretch of A9 to be cut to 40mph
Transport Scotland has announced the speed limit change as part of dualling works on the A9
The speed limit on a section of the A9 will be slashed to 40mph for at least three years.
Transport Scotland said the section of the road between Tomatin and Moy, south of Inverness, would have the temporary speed limit in place due to works to upgrade the route to a dual carriageway.
The existing speed limit on the six-mile stretch is 60mph.
The 40mph limit will be in place from Monday, March 10. The speed restriction is expected to remain in place until the dualling becomes operational in spring 2028.
Safety cameras will be used to monitor drivers' speeds.
The restrictions are linked to wider works to fully dual the A9 from Perth to Inverness by 2035.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Whilst the reduced speed limit will mean that journeys take a little longer as construction work proceeds, this is a vital contribution to ensuring the safety of road users and construction workers.
“I encourage all road users to plan their journeys ahead of time and adhere to the speed limit as they travel through the works area.”
Safety barriers will be installed from March 10, with the work taking about ten nights between 7.30pm and 6am. Temporary traffic signals will be in place while the barriers are set up.
Dominick Cafferkey, project manager for Transport Scotland, said: “We ask all road users to take care on approach to the area, to observe and obey all signage, and we thank them for their patience whilst these essential temporary traffic management measures are in place.”
Scotland’s longest road last year recorded at least eight fatalities, excluding pedestrians, six of them between Perth and Inverness, according to information on crashes sent to the media by Police Scotland.
A Scottish Government report published in October last year confirmed the total cost of works on the six-mile Tomatin to Moy stretch had risen by £111 million compared to what was initially estimated.
The price of upgrading the A9 stretch is now expected to be £308m.
Work on dualling the A9 began in 2015. The road has been split into 11 sections, two of which have been completed in the last ten years.
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