Transport secretary Mairi McAllan due to appear at the A9 dualling inquiry this week
The inquiry into the A9 dualling programme will continue with key testimony from transport secretary Màiri McAllan on Wednesday at the petitions committee in Holyrood.
The probe is aimed at finding out what went wrong so mistakes are not repeated and the new 2035 dualling deadline is achievable and was prompted by Kincraig campaigner Laura Hansler’s petition.
It comes after it was revealed that transport minister Fiona Hyslop – who reports to Ms McAllan – is to travel to Inverness to take part in a stakeholder event for the renewed A9 dualling programme later this month.
The Scottish Parliament’s citizen participation and public petitions committee will take evidence from Ms McAllan having already heard from Transport Scotland officials last week.
She will be supported by Lawrence Shackman, the Director of Major Projects, Jo Blewett, Head of Sustainable Transport Projects and Rob Galbraith, Head of Project Delivery at Transport Scotland.
A spokesman said: “This evidence session will provide the Committee with the opportunity to reflect on the evidence it has gathered to date to identify lessons for the future, and to explore any possible weaknesses in the planned project delivery and how these might be addressed.”
Transport Scotland will host five drop-in events between February 14 and 29 taking place in Aviemore, Dalwhinnie, Pitlochry, Perth and Ms Hyslop to take part in an additional briefing in the first event which is in Inverness.
The Scottish Government’s transport agency has touted the events as the “delivery plan takes to the road” with communities invited to view plans for completing the dualling at venues between Perth and Inverness in the coming weeks.