Doubt has been cast over a Scottish Government pledge to dual the A9 by the end of 2035 amid reports that transport officials warned ministers two years ago that a date for completion was “uncertain”.

The Times states that a briefing prepared by Transport Scotland for senior ministers back in December 2022 warned that a “definitive date” should not be placed on the project, stating that completion would be “no earlier than early-mid 2030s” on the basis that work is “undertaken at as fast a rate” as the market could accommodate, says the Inverness Courier.

The official website for the £3.7 billion project, a9dualling.scot, now states that the final phase of the project is “expected to become fully operational by the end of 2035, at the earliest.”

The transport briefing, which was recently published under the Freedom of Information legislation, goes on to state that “it is not considered that a definitive date can be offered for completion of the programme”.

Former First Minister Humza Yousaf promised last December that the Scottish Government’s plan is to complete dualling of the A9 between Inverness and Perth in 2035 and that it would be open about the project and keep people and the Scottish Parliament informed of progress.

(Pic – Transport Scotland)