A9 Speed Cameras Project Under Way

WORK has begun to install new safety measures on one of Scotland's most notorious roads, as construction has started on an average speed camera system on the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

The A9 is regarded as one of the country's most dangerous roads, with fatal and serious road accidents on the single carriageway between Perth and Inverness significantly higher than the national average.

The system is one of a number of measures that have been promoted by the A9 Safety Group in a bid to improve safety in recent years.

Construction will focus on cameras and infrared lighting masts erected on the single carriageway sections with a total of 27 sites along the route. Engineers will test the equipment prior to it going live in October.

The installation of the cameras comes as the Scottish Government moves forward with its plan to make the route a dual carriageway. The £3 billion project involves the upgrade of 80 miles of single carriageway along the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025.

Commenting on the camera scheme, Stewart Leggett, chair of the A9 Safety Group, said: "The A9 Safety Group is clear that the deployment of average speed cameras on the A9 will improve safety for all users by improving driver behaviour and reducing the unacceptable levels of speeding currently recorded on the route.

"Average speed cameras have proven effective in reducing casualties where they have been deployed and they are a key part of the wider plan to improve the safety of everyone using the A9, both in advance of, and during the dualling of this vital route.

"The average speed camera system is only a small part of the overall investment making up the interim safety plan for the A9. We are committed to maintaining the route and managing its safe and effective use, both before and during the forthcoming dualling programme."

By Press Association reporters