Extra money announced for A9 safety measures

The Scottish government says it intends to invest about £5m in extra road safety measures for the A9 between now and 2025.

The announcement comes after the number of fatalities on the road's Inverness to Perth stretch rose to their highest level in 20 years.

Thirteen people have lost their lives on the 112-mile section this year.

The additional money is to be spent on enhanced road markings and safety signs and campaigns.

The Scottish Conservatives said the measures could help save lives in the short-term, but urged the Scottish government to reaffirm its commitment to completing the dualling of the Inverness to Perth stretch by 2025.

The Scottish government said it was already delivering £95,000-worth of safety schemes over the next four months between Inverness and Perth, including enhanced signs and road markings at key locations.

It said an additional £600,000 of work and campaigns would also be delivered by next April, focused on the same stretch of road.

This would include enhanced road markings, illuminated road studs and improvements to highlight single carriageways and where they become dualled sections.

Signs with safety messages would also be deployed along the route.

The Scottish government said that over 2023/24 and 2024/25 the "scope and extent" of this work would be expanded across the route, coupled with targeted marketing campaigns.

Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said: "My sympathies are with everyone who has lost a loved one on Scotland's roads and specifically on the A9 in recent months.

"One life lost on Scotland's roads is one too many and as a government it is imperative we respond to the devastating increase in fatalities on the A9 in recent months.

"This funding will provide a package of targeted measures, including road improvements and marketing for delivery between now and 2025. As an immediate intervention by April 2023 over £600,000 will be invested to improve road safety across the A9."

She added: "As I've previously outlined in parliament, the Scottish government is firmly committed to completing the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

"We have already invested over £430m to date delivering the dualling programme."

About 77 miles of the A9 between Inverness and Perth remains to be upgraded to dual carriageway.

Over the last 10 years, work has been completed on two sections, totalling 11 miles of road.

The Scottish government said key preparations had begun on eight of the remaining nine sections.

In 2022, 13 people have died in eight fatal accidents between Inverness and Perth.

The casualties have included a two-year-old boy and his grandparents at the Slochd, south of Inverness, in July.

In August, three members of a family visiting Scotland from the US were killed at Ralia, also in the Highlands.

Along the full length of the road there have been a total of 17 fatalities.

This is the highest number for the entire road since 2009, according to Police Scotland data.

Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr accused the SNP-Green coalition of cutting their roads budget.

He added: "They may have given a few crumbs of spending towards the A9 but this hardly shows how the route is a priority for ministers."