The race has begun for three of the biggest Scottish Government funded civil engineering design contracts ever offered.
Transport Scotland has published the Prior Information Notice for the design work on the A9 dualling project – signalling the start of procurement.
The three separate contracts each have a value of £40 – £60m and are a clear indication of the scale of the A9 dualling scheme.
The contracts will cover the A9 between Perth and Inverness, with the actual area covered by each contract to be determined during the procurement process.?
Transport Minister Keith Brown said:?
“This £3 billion complex and challenging programme will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history.
“The sheer scale, 80 miles of dual carriageway, makes it good business and value for money to split this design work into three large sections.
“The start of procurement for the detailed design work is a clear indication of our commitment to this project.
“These contracts will provide steady work for the next 12 years for the three successful bidders – providing much needed certainty and helping to secure jobs. In addition, these commissions are likely to offer many opportunities for small and medium enterprises through sub-consultancy work.?
“I am confident that there will be a lot of interest in this project and look forward to seeing that evidenced when the OJEU for the three design contracts issues this Summer.
“During design and then construction, this project will deliver hundreds of jobs, directly and indirectly.”
Transport Scotland will engage with the consulting engineering industry, ahead of issuing the OJEU notice in the Summer, seeking expressions of interest from companies wishing to tender.?
In a further boost to the industry, tenders are also being sought for aerial topographical surveys as part of the A9 and A96 dualling programmes.
