Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015: progress report 2017

Transport

Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/ Balmedie to Tipperty Project
Aberdeen West Peripheral Route (including Balmedie to Tipperty): The NPD contract was awarded to Aberdeen Roads Limited in December 2014, with lower costs than originally estimated. The £745 million project will provide substantial benefits across the whole of the north east and will provide a boost to the economy; increase business and tourism opportunities; improve safety; cut congestion as well as increasing opportunities for improvements in public transport facilities. It is expected that the project will be fully operational during autumn 2018.

The first section of the project, at Aberdeen International Airport (between Craibstone and Dyce) opened to traffic in August 2016 and many new junctions and side roads have opened throughout 2017 and into 2018, bringing benefits to the North East.

M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project
The contract for the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project was awarded to Scottish Roads Partnership ( SRP) on 20 February 2014. The main contract works commenced thereafter. The £452 million M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project opened to traffic throughout Spring 2017 with all traffic restrictions removed from the motorways on 1 June 2017.

A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness
The work is continuing across the route and road users are already benefiting from the new £45 million dualled stretch between Kincraig and Dalraddy (7.5km) which was made fully operational to traffic on 30 September 2017. Landscaping and other finishing works on Kincraig to Dalraddy are progressing and due for completion in Spring 2018.

Procurement of the second section to be dualled between Luncarty to Pass of Birnam is underway and we expect the main construction contract to be awarded in the first half of 2018. The procurement of an A9 Advance Works framework agreement is also currently underway. This will enable advance works to commence on both Luncarty to Pass of Birnam and other A9 schemes over the next four years.

Divided into 3 separate lots, both Lot 1 and Lot 3 Framework Agreements are expected to be concluded shortly, and the tender for Lot 2 is expected to be issued shortly. Advanced archaeological works started on Luncarty to Pass of Birnam in March 2018.

Design work on the remaining 9 schemes of the dualling programme is well advanced with over 90 per cent of the dualling programme having now reached preferred route status. In November and December 2017 draft Orders were published for four dualling schemes representing around 30 miles of the 80 miles to be dualled.

A96 Dualling Inverness to Aberdeen (Design):
In July 2017 a design contract worth up to £50 million was awarded to carry out route options development and assessment work for dualling the 42km eastern section of the A96 between East of Huntly and Aberdeen. It is expected that the route option assessment process work will take approximately 2 years to complete.

Work has also continued on the development and assessment of the route options for the 46km dualling of the A96 between Hardmuir and Fochabers. The route options under consideration for the scheme were presented at public exhibitions on 19-22 June 2017 for vital feedback. The preferred option for the scheme is expected to be identified later in 2018.

To inform the on-going design development on the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme a detailed ground investigation was carried out along the length of the route between June and November 2017.

A82 Improvements (Design)
A £3.4 million detailed Ground Investigation contract was awarded in February 2018 to inform on-going development and assessment of the preferred option to upgrade the 16km stretch of the A82 between Tarbet and Inverarnan and support preparation of draft orders for the scheme in 2018.

Queensferry Crossing
The Queensferry Crossing is now part of the M90 motorway and the Forth Road Bridge has been fully reopened as a public transport corridor. The Queensferry Crossing motorway regulations came in to effect on 1 February 2018 and at that time the Forth Road Bridge also reopened fully as a public transport corridor.

The Crossing has been completed in six years from the date construction started and within ten years of being first committed to by the Scottish Government in December 2007.

Ferries
Works for the redevelopment of Brodick started on 11 January 2016 and are complete with exception of the Passenger Access System ( PAS). This is a major investment of around £30 million to secure a safe, efficient and reliable ferry terminal and service. The new terminal facility is expected to become operational in March 2018. The Scottish Government is supporting the project by providing a £17.8 million contribution.

On 16 October 2015, a contract for two 100 metre dual fuel vessels was awarded to Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd. The contract value is £97 million. The first vessel, the MV Glen Sannox, was launched 21 November 2017 and is scheduled to be delivered in winter 2018-19.

Aberdeen – Inverness Rail Improvements
Phased programme of improvements to the railway infrastructure in the North east of Scotland over the period 2014 – 2030. Faster journey times, the introduction of high speed trains from summer 2018, and increased service provision will deliver a 75 per cent increase in capacity and enhanced connectivity over the whole of the route.

Phase One is scheduled to reach completion by 2019 with agreed investment of £330 million. Future phases of the project will help support an hourly service between Aberdeen and Inverness, with an average journey time of around 2 hours.

Shotts Electrification
The electrification of 74 single track kilometres (approximately 46 miles) on the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts route to provide the fourth electrified line between Scotland’s two largest cities.

Completion of the project in March 2019 will improve connectivity, increase capacity and efficiency, enhance the passenger experience by the introduction of new electric rolling stock and significantly reduce journey times. The current Anticipated Final Cost of the project is £160 million and it is on schedule for completion as planned in March 2019.

Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme
The first electric services on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High Line commenced 10 December 2017 using existing Class 380 trains. New Hitachi Class 385 trains will be introduced to the route following the necessary process of approvals in 2018.

The main works for the redevelopment of Queen Street station commenced August 2017 following the clean acquisition of required properties through the Transport and Works (Scotland) process. Works continue to progress well with platform extensions due to complete December 2019 and the enhanced station concourse and frontage scheduled to complete March 2020.

Highland Main Line
Phase 2 of the Highland Main Line enhancement programme aims to achieve by Spring 2019 (infrastructure ready for use March 2019, commencement of enhanced service May 2019 timetable change date):
1. An hourly train service in both directions between Inverness and Perth extended to either Glasgow or Edinburgh;
2. An average end-to-end journey time reduction of around 10 minutes in both directions; and
3. More efficient freight operations that better respond to the demand from freight customers.

Due to a whole industry approach (the planned introduction of High Speed Trains on the route and timetable opportunities) more minimal infrastructure works than envisaged are required. Scottish Ministers have allocated £117 million for the current phase but it is expected that this will significantly reduce to £65 million.