UK-based Wills Bros Civil Engineering has been named the preferred bidder for constructing the fourth segment of the A9 Dualling Programme, spanning from Tay Crossing to Ballinluig in Scotland.

The contract, valued at £152.7m ($205m), represents a significant step forward in the project, which is part of a larger £257m investment by the Scottish Government.

According to Transport Scotland, the announcement of the preferred bidder concludes the procurement process, pending the successful completion of a mandatory standstill period.

The new dual carriageway is expected to be operational by the end of 2028, at which time 45% of the A9 road between Perth and Inverness will have been dualled. It aims to enhance the safety and resilience of the route for road users.

Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: “Our intention to award the contract for Tay Crossing to Ballinluig illustrates continued momentum in our delivery plan for dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

“When work commences on this section, we will have active dualling works at both the southern and northern extents of the programme’s corridor - a clear sign of the momentum behind our delivery plan.”

The project will also include the construction of a new side road network.

It will enhance access for the communities of Dowally, Guay, and Kindallachan.

Additionally, the contract will outline the provision of a new overbridge at Guay South and an underbridge at Kindallachan.

Enhanced active travel routes and local path networks are also part of the plan, aiming to improve connectivity to and from Scotland's Highlands.

Hyslop added: “This is the second contract to be awarded since our delivery plan for A9 dualling was announced in 2023, and clearly demonstrates that we are delivering on our promises.

“The receipt of three valid tenders during this procurement process means that we can also be confident that our investment in this A9 dualling contract demonstrates value for money, and that the changes we have made to our contracts in recent years are making a real difference.

“We are achieving the targets we have laid out, and making steady progress across the corridor to ensure that the full route between Perth and Inverness is dualled by 2035.”