£3m design deal to unblock Scottish bottleneck

Plans to tackle the notorious Haudagain traffic bottleneck in Scotland have taken a step forward with the award of a £3m design contract to Jacobs.

Work is expected to get underway next month to confirm the preferred design and undertake the necessary surveys, checks and statutory processes.

The design work will ensure construction of this much needed scheme can begin after the AWPR / Balmedie-Tipperty project is completed in 2018.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “For years drivers in the north east have endured tailbacks and delays at the A90 / A96 Haudagain roundabout.

"The Scottish Government has made a clear commitment to address this by starting work at Haudagain immediately following completion of the AWPR / Balmedie-Tipperty project.

“We are well aware of the effect the bottleneck at Haudagain can have on road users. That is why we are undertaking this detailed design to ensure work can begin on site after the AWPR / Balmedie-Tipperty project is completed in 2018.

“The AWPR/Balmedie -Tipperty project is an absolutely vital infrastructure project for the north east of Scotland that will bring almost 14,000 jobs and £6billion of economic benefits over the next thirty years – a not insignificant return for the total investment involved.

“On completion, both AWPR / Balmedie-Tipperty and Haudagain improvements will reduce congestion, speed up journey times and improve safety for road users.”