A9 road signs go live

Issued by Transport Scotland

A system to give drivers up-to-the-minute information to plan their journeys and drive safely has gone live on the A9.

This follows work by the A9 Safety Group to look at more ways of improving the safety of the road, building on the wider programme to dual Scotland’s longest trunk road between Perth and Inverness.

Chairman of the A9 Safety Group, and Head of Network Operations at Transport Scotland, Hugh Gillies said:

“We are determined to see continuing improvement in road safety across Scotland’s roads and for A9 motorists to benefit as soon as possible.

“That is why Transport Scotland is pressing ahead with dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness with the programme having been brought forward to start two years earlier than previously planned and further progress announced last week on the dualling scheme between Birnam and Luncarty.

“Dualling the A9 will help to provide safer overtaking opportunities and improve the safety record of this road, but the work of the A9 Safety Group has been tasked to implement more immediate initiatives.

“We have been working to extend Traffic Scotland’s Journey Time System (JTS) to the A9. The  information system, which is currently in operation along key central belt routes, will give drivers along the A9 between Stirling and Inverness  - over 140 miles - more accurate information on the expected journey times to their destination. With this information drivers can better plan their journeys and make safer driving choices while on the move.

“All of our partners on the A9 Safety Group are acutely aware of the tragic and personal cost of every fatality on our roads and believe a co-ordinated approach based on education, engineering and enforcement, will us make our journeys by road,  including Scotland’s longest trunk road, safer.”