A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton
In March 2016, the Scottish Government announced it would invest £135 million as part of a £315 million Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal which included the commitment “to deliver the strategic A9/A96 Link Road improvement and grade separation of the Longman Interchange”. The A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme is dependent on the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme.
The design and assessment of the A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton project progressed through the Design Manual Roads and Bridge (DMRB) Stage 2 and a preferred option was announced in October 2017, with the preferred option further developed and assessed through the DMRB Stage 3 process.
The A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme consists of approximately 3.2km of new single carriageway, running south-west to north-east, as well as approximately 0.7km of carriageway widening on the existing line of the M9/A9 Edinburgh – Stirling – Thurso Trunk Road (hereinafter referred to as the A9), and a new bridge on the B9006 Culloden Road over the A9. It also includes a bridge crossing over the Highland Main Line Railway.
Road Order and Compulsory Purchase Order
The Road Order and Compulsory Purchase Order were made on 14 May 2024 and came into force on 20 June 2024.
Draft Orders and Environmental Impact Assessment Report
Draft Orders and an Environmental Impact Assessment Report were published on 13 September 2019.
The Statutory Consultation Period closed on 25 October 2019. The Scottish Ministers considered remaining objections and published their Decision Letter which confirmed that a Public Local Inquiry was not necessary and that Orders should be made as published.
Following publication of the draft Orders and EIAR, Transport Scotland held Public Exhibitions in Raigmore and Smithton on 25 and 26 September 2019.
The information presented at these exhibitions is available below:
Public drop-in sessions
May 2018
We held public drop-in sessions on 16 and 17 May 2018 to let local residents and road users view and comment on design changes to the preferred option for the A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme.
Representatives from Transport Scotland and our design consultants were available to discuss the design and assessment work and answer any questions.
We've issued responses to all feedback received during the drop-in sessions.
Public exhibitions
October/November 2017
As part of the Scottish Government’s commitment within the £315 million Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal, public exhibitions were held on 31 October and 1 November 2017 to give local communities and road users the opportunity to see and comment on the preferred option for the A9 / A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme.
Representatives from Transport Scotland and its design consultants were on hand to discuss the design and assessment work and answer any questions.
August 2016
Transport Scotland held public exhibitions on 23 and 24 August 2016 to update locals and road users on the route options under consideration for the scheme. The purpose of the public exhibitions was to explain how we took forward the options identified following the recent A9/A96 Connections Study and to give the public the opportunity to comment on the developing route options for the scheme.