Council welcomes Scottish Government's infrastructure plans

7th December 2011

The Highland Council has welcomed the Scottish Government's plans for substantial investment in Scotland's rail network; the dualling of road network between all of Scotland's cities, including the A 9 Perth - Inverness and the A96 Inverness - Aberdeen road; and the upgrading of the A 82 between Fort William and Crianlarich.

The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil, made the pledge as he published the Scottish Government's Infrastructure and Investment Plan, which details plans for up to £60 billion of spending right up until 2030.

Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services, said: "Effective transport communications are vital to the future prosperity of the Highlands so this commitment to improving our roads and rail network is hugely encouraging.

"As ever the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, but this aspiration to invest in our infrastructure must be warmly welcomed.

"Our priority will be to see dualling of the A 96 between Inverness and Inverness Airport; the construction of a major new link from the A96 at Smithton to the A9 and a by-pass of Nairn.

"We also recognise the need for improvements on the A9 north of Inverness, particularly at Berriedale Braes and on the A 82 between Inverness and Crianlarich and improvements in the rail network to speed up travel to Aberdeen and the south."

The Scottish Government's Infrastructure and Investment `plan includes 54 major infrastructure projects and 33 programmes, across a range of areas, including schools, hospitals and housing.

Key points include:
•Transport - the Scottish Government will dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025, with a view to completing dualling of the A96 and the dualled road network between all our cities by 2030; complete construction of replacement crossing over the Firth of Forth by 2016, and invest in substantial rail improvements, reducing journey times between Edinburgh and Glasgow, from Aberdeen to the central belt, Aberdeen to Inverness and on the Highland Main line
•The plan includes high speed rail, and estimates a cost of £15 billion for completion of the route, from North West England to Scotland, with a Scottish contribution of £8 - 9 billion. Minister's will continue to press for this to come to Scotland at the earliest opportunity, although final decisions on timing and route rest with the Westminster Government