What is the A96 Corridor Review?

The A96 is a trunk road linking Inverness and Aberdeen, connecting several communities along its length, including Nairn, Forres, Elgin, Fochabers, Keith, Huntly, Inverurie and Kintore.

The intention to dual the A96 was announced in December 2011, when the Scottish Government published its Infrastructure Investment Plan which contained a commitment to dual the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen. This was supported by the Scottish Government’s Agenda for Cities, which focused on developing and promoting economic growth through the key assets of Scotland’s cities and their regions.

In August 2021, it was agreed by the Scottish Government to take forward a transport enhancements programme on the A96 corridor that improves connectivity between surrounding towns, tackles congestion and addresses safety and environmental issues.

While the current plan is to fully dual the A96 route, it was also agreed as part of this process there would be a transparent, evidence-based review of the programme, to include a climate compatibility assessment and other statutory assessments.

As it has already received Ministerial consent following a Public Local Inquiry, dualling of the A96 from Inverness to Nairn as well as a bypass of Nairn is separate from the wider A96 review process.

The A96 Corridor Review has considered all relevant transport modes within the A96 corridor, including roads-based transport, rail, public transport and active travel modes.

The draft outcomes of the A96 Corridor Review’s appraisal and assessment work sets out that a package of interventions (referred to as “Refined Package”) across a range of modes of transport have been identified as thebest performing in terms of the assessment criteria. This Refined Package aims to maximise the level of potential benefits by combining the best performing interventions considered within the Review whilst optimising investment within the corridor and delivering the best value for money. The draft outcomes of the A96 Corridor Review have now been published for public consultation before a final decision can be reached by the Scottish Government.