Transport Scotland trunk road information: FOI release

Information requested

For each of Scotland’s trunk roads, please supply

• Total length (in miles)
• Mileage which is currently dualled
• When was the most recent review by Ministers of the case for complete dualling?
• What is the current target date for complete completion of dualling?
• What is the most recent estimate (& at what date) of the cost to compete dualling?
• Funding allocated in each financial year since 2020/21 including 2025/25

Response

Please note, that we have split this request in to two different parts.

1 – General statistics and maintenance for all trunk roads in Scotland
2 – More information on Transport Scotland’s dualling projects, in Annex A & B.

Relating to part one (general stats and maintenance spend) please see answers below:

1. Total length (in miles)

Please see attached spreadsheet.

2. Mileage which is currently dualled

Please see attached spreadsheet.

3. When was the most recent review by Ministers of the case for complete dualling?

The Scottish Government published the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) in December 2022. STPR2 is a long term framework for investment in transport infrastructure, which drives decision making for our strategic transport system. While the first STPR, published in 2008, could be seen to focus on potential road and rail infrastructure development, STPR2 is firmly focussed on the priorities set out in National Transport Strategy (NTS2), published in February 2020.

Apart from already committed projects, specifically the dualling of the A9 and the A96, STPR2 does not recommend dualling of the trunk road network. In line with the Sustainable Travel and Investment Hierarchies, investment is focused on providing options for travel by alternative modes with the mode shift achieved helping to reduce demand on the trunk road and motorway network where there are operational constraints. Recommendations 30 and 32 focus on targeted road safety improvements and increased investment to keep the network reliable and resilient. Potential measures would include, but are not limited to, carriageway and structure schemes, strengthening of major bridges and removal of accessibility barriers.

4. What is the current target date for complete completion of dualling?

For our dualling projects, please see Annex A & B.

5. What is the most recent estimate (& at what date) of the cost to compete dualling?

For our dualling projects, please see Annex A & B.

6. Funding allocated in each financial year since 2020/21 including 2025/25

Please see attached spreadsheet. Please also note, this is general maintenance spend and it separate to dualling projects funding.

Please note that Transport Scotland does not allocate funding to our operating companies based on specific trunk roads. It is for operating companies to prioritise spend based on need.

Annex A

A9 Dualling Programme

I have provided a response to each of your questions as follows in relation to A9 Dualling Programme between Perth and Inverness;

1. Total length (in miles)

2. Mileage which is currently dualled

The A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness programme will upgrade 83 miles (133 kilometres) of road from single to dual carriageway.

This information has been published on our dedicated A9 Dualling Website at the following link: Programme overview

The A9 Dualling Programme involves dualling 11 projects which have been developed individually. Road users are already benefiting from the Kincraig to Dalraddy and Luncarty to Pass of Birnam projects, which became operational in September 2017 and August 2021 respectively.

The Kincraig to Dalraddy project upgraded 4.7 miles of road from single to dual carriageway.

The Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project upgraded 5.9 miles of road from single to dual carriageway.

The A9 Dualling Programme has dualled 10.6 miles of road between Perth and Inverness from single to dual carriageway to date.

The Tomatin to Moy project is under construction with 6 miles of road being upgraded from single to dual carriageway.

The contract for the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project has recently been awarded and once major construction commences that will upgrade 5.1 miles of single carriageway to dual carriageway.

Details regarding mileage currently dualled are available from our website at the following links;

Kincraig to Dalraddy
Luncarty to Pass of Birnam

3. When was the most recent review by Ministers of the case for complete dualling?

The information you have requested is available from Transport Scotland’s website via the links provided below. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Details regarding the most recent Ministerial review of the case for dualling, and all transport infrastructure programmes are available from our website at the following link;

Final technical report - December 2022 - STPR2 | Transport Scotland

4. What is the current target date for complete completion of dualling?

The information you have requested is available from Transport Scotland’s website via the links provided below. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Details regarding the current target date for completion of A9 dualling programme are available from our website at the following link; Delivery Plan.

5. What is the most recent estimate (& at what date) of the cost to compete dualling?

The information you have requested is available from Transport Scotland’s website via the links provided below. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Details regarding most recent cost estimate are available from our website at the following link; Programme overview.

6. Funding allocated in each financial year since 2020/21 including 2025/26

I have interpreted your request to ask for funding allocation since 2020/2021, including 2025/26.

The information you have requested is available from Transport Scotland’s website via the links provided below. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Details regarding funding and budget allocations to the A9 Dualling Programme since 2020 can be found on the Scottish Government website and are available at the following links.

Please refer to “Capital Land and Works allocation” budget line, further details are provided below.

Scottish Budget 2020-21
Scottish Budget: 2021-22
Scottish Budget 2022-23
Scottish Budget: 2023-24
Scottish Budget: 2025-26

Spend on our trunk road improvement projects is managed within the Capital Land and Works as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget.

This covers preparation and delivery of a range of projects and programmes including A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness as well as a number of other projects and programmes. Spend on each individual project is managed with the Capital Land and Works allocation budget line which reflects the scope of work anticipated to be taken forward within the financial year.

For 2024/25 please refer to “Road Improvement” budget line.
scottish-budget-2024-25.pdf

Annex B

A96 Dualling

When was the most recent review by Ministers of the case for complete dualling As part of the then Bute House Agreement, the Scottish Government agreed to undertake a transparent, evidence-based review of the A96 corridor, a lengthy and complex process. The detailed appraisal stage of the A96 Corridor Review, which included consideration of full dualling of the A96, was published in November 2024 and Transport Scotland has consulted on the draft outcomes.

The 12-week consultation, which ended on Friday 21 February 2025 with over 1,400 responses received, provided the public and other stakeholders with the opportunity to fully consider and feedback on the findings from the appraisal.

The feedback received has been collated and analysed by Transport Scotland and a report summarising this feedback published on 19 June 2025 and is available to view on Transport Scotland’s website.

This feedback will help inform the Scottish Government’s final decision on how best to take forward improvements to the A96 whilst also balancing the demands of the challenging economic climate and the climate emergency.

What is the current target date for complete completion of dualling?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have this information you have requested. The reasons why we don’t have the information are explained in the Annex C to this letter.

What is the most recent estimate (& at what date) of the cost to compete dualling?

The A96 Corridor Review publication on 28 November 2024 stated that the estimated capital cost of A96 Full Dualling was in the range of £2.5bn to £5bn at Q4 2022 prices excluding VAT. This information is publicly available using the following link: A96 Corridor Review | Transport Scotland

Funding allocated in each financial year since 2020/21 including 2025/26

I have interpreted your request to ask for funding allocation since 2020/2021, including 2025/26.

The information you have requested is available from Transport Scotland’s website via the links provided below. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Details regarding funding and budget allocations since 2020 can be found on the Scottish Government website and are available at the following links.

Please refer to “Capital Land and Works allocation” budget line, further details are provided below.

Scottish Budget 2020-21
Scottish Budget: 2021-22
Scottish Budget 2022-23
Scottish Budget: 2023-24
Scottish Budget: 2025-26

Spend on our trunk road improvement projects is managed within the Capital Land and Works as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget. This covers preparation and delivery of a range of projects and programmes including the A96 as well as a number of other projects and programmes. Spend on each individual project is managed with the Capital Land and Works allocation budget line which reflects the scope of work anticipated to be taken forward within the financial year.

For 2024/25 please refer to “Road Improvement” budget line.
scottish-budget-2024-25.pdf

Annex C

REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION

The Scottish Government does not have the information

The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government does not have a target date for completion of the A96 dualling project at this moment.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500480844 - Information released - Trunk Roads

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