DUALLING the A9 between Perth and Inverness would inject almost £1.3 billion into the economy, according to a report examining possible upgrades to one of Scotland's most notorious roads.
Widening one 13-mile section alone, between Kingussie and Aviemore, could bring national economic benefits of almost £400 million if it were upgraded at an estimated cost of £100 million.
The figures were revealed yesterday in a study commis
sioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and HITRANS, the region's transport partnership.
In a separate report, they predicted 30 minutes could be shaved off the two-hour-plus A96 journey from Inverness to Aberdeen if bypasses were built at Nairn, Elgin and Keith, estimated to cost a total of nearly £40 million.
Such a scheme would also boost the North-east economy by £107 million a year and create up to 6,600 jobs.
The A9 runs for 108 miles between Inverness and Perth and accounts for 96 per cent of all road journeys between Inverness and the Central Belt and almost all freight movements.
But campaigners say its current condition makes it unsafe and stifles economic development in the north of Scotland.
At present, just 28 miles of it are dualled.
The Scottish Government says it is committed to planning for dualling the A9 in the long term, but last year the cost was put at £600 million.
Duncan MacIntyre, the chairman of HITRANS, said: "
This is the second report that clearly demonstrates the large economic benefits that would arise from improvements.
"Clearly, our preferred option would be to dual the entire length from Perth to Inverness, but we appreciate this will have to be carried out in sections and will take time."
He called on the government to make the Kingussie-Aviemore section a priority for dualling in the short term.
The new report measured the impact of dualling different sections of the A9 and the overall route in terms of journey times, vehicle operating costs and carbon emissions. Within the Highlands, the Kingussie to Aviemore section emerged as a clear favourite, providing 44 per cent of the overall economic benefit.
Meanwhile, a report on the A96 said bypasses would potentially release much-needed land for development and could generate about £38 million from developers to help fund the road improvements. The reduction in congestion would also lead to savings of over £21 million each year for users of the A96 as a result of shorter journey times.
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: "HITRANS have provided Transport Scotland with a copy of the reports they have commissioned for the A9 and A96, both of which form an important part of Scotland's national strategic transport corridors, and the content of these reports is being considered as part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review."
