Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £185m contract by Transport Scotland to dual almost 10km of the A9 in the Scottish Highlands.

The Scottish government announced last month its intention to award Balfour Beatty the contract to dual the section of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy - approximately 21 kilometres (13 miles) south of Inverness.

As part of the contract, Balfour Beatty will upgrade 9.6km of single carriageway to dual carriageway, construct four major bridges along the route as well as deliver new side roads together with various junction upgrades.

It will also provide more than 10km of improved active travel routes to promote and encourage cycling and walking in the local area.

The A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project is expected to improve road safety, journey times and reliability for all road users including pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers.

This major investment in the local area will generate economic growth, supporting businesses, communities, and tourism throughout Scotland by strengthening the link between Scotland’s central belt and the Highlands and Islands.

The project forms part of Transport Scotland’s multi-billion pound A9 Dualling Programme, for which a delivery plan was announced in December 2023.

It marks the third section of the programme to begin construction following the successful completion of the Kincraig to Dalraddy and the Luncarty to Pass of Birnam sections, which opened in 2017 and 2021 respectively, with the latter also being constructed by Balfour Beatty.

Hector MacAulay, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland, said: “We are pleased to have been appointed to deliver the latest phase of the A9 dualling programme, building on our proven track record of successful major infrastructure delivery.

“The A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project will continue to deliver far reaching benefits to the Scottish economy, creating hundreds of new jobs and stimulating growth of business communities, especially in the tourism industry, as well as improving road user safety.”

At construction peak, the project is expected to employ 180 people, including eight graduate and apprenticeship positions as part of Balfour Beatty’s commitment to The 5% Club and Transport Scotland’s A9 Dualling Social Value Programme which includes the award winning Academy9 educational initiative.