Can the Scottish Government complete the Nairn Bypass by 2030? Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop says ‘nothing is off the table’
Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop says she will be realistic about hopes of completing the Nairn Bypass by 2030 - the original deadline for the dualling of the A96.
That was after it emerged at The Inverness Courier’s Build the Bypass event in Nairn this evening that in principle the bypass could be completed within five years.
The Scottish Government is preparing to buy land to dual Inverness to Nairn on the A96
Transport Scotland’s Lawrence Shankman could not promise that it would be finished by then.
But when he was pressed by host Nicky Marr he did reveal that the timescale for procurement and construction would theoretically at least permit the road to be finished before 2030.
Ms Hyslop was asked that given she vowed to be “realistic” with people was it realistic to still hope that at least this one part of the original A96 dualling programme would be completed by then.
She said it was important to understand that the timelines would be determined by funding - whether direct government capital investment or private finance.
“He [Lawrence Shankman] was quite clear, nothing is off the table in terms of ensuring that Nairn starts first compared to the rest of it.
But let’s go through that process - that is exactly where we are, we have now got the made orders through, we can now purchase the land.
“The next stage is how we assess that procurement.”
