Halcrow to carry out environmental work on A96

Halcrow will undertake strategic environmental assessment work on the A96 in Scotland.

The £130,000 contract will see the firm assess the potential environmental impacts of the dualling programme at an early stage in its development and help identify ways to avoid or reduce these. This will be carried out along an 86-mile stretch of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.

Transport Minister Keith Brown (pictured) said: “The environmental assessment work due to get underway later this month will give Transport Scotland a much fuller understanding of the route and along with the ongoing Preliminary Engineering Services (PES) work will help set the foundations for the detailed design.

“Along with the more advanced A9 dualling programme, this ambitious project is further evidence of the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting the economy by competently delivering major infrastructure projects.”

“As for all major infrastructure projects, Transport Scotland is committed to engaging with affected communities and businesses through a programme of consultation. As part of this we intend to hold public exhibitions later this year in venues along the route. This is an opportunity to share our understanding of the challenges we face and ensure we have a good local input right from the outset of the A96 dualling programme.”