A year after the Scottish Government said it would reveal its plan for the under-threat A96 dualling project, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has called the delay “completely unacceptable”.

The Inverness Courier newspaper says the outcome of the A96 Corridor Review had been promised to be published “by the end of 2022”, according to the SNP and Green power-sharing deal which first announced the review, but that now Transport Scotland have also confirmed that “preparation work continues on the dualling of the Inverness to Nairn section, including the Nairn bypass”, but gave no indication of a possible timescale.

It quotes Mr Ross as saying: “Millions of taxpayers’ money have been wasted on the A96 corridor review, when communities simply want to see this crucial route dualled as quickly as possible,” Mr Ross said.

“A year on from when the review was supposed to be published, we have nothing but another broken promise from the SNP to people in Moray and the north east.

“SNP ministers must urgently confirm when this review will be published and outline a clear timeframe for when the A96 will be fully dualled in order to improve motorists safety and boost the local economy across Moray.”

The report adds that Richard Lochhead, Moray’s SNP MSP, said he also wished to see the outcome soon but delays owed to the volume of responses to a pre-review consultation.

(Picture – Google Streetview)