Roads

Bringing Scotland into the 21st Century

The ALBA Party recognises that road infrastructure in the Highlands and Islands needs to be brought up to 21st Century standards. The North Coast 500 is particularly significant as it carries a large volume of tourist traffic, which is vital to the economy of the area. Much of the North Coast 500 is single-track and as the tourists enjoy the beautiful scenery there are serious problems caused by the disruption to local people going about their daily business.

Trunk roads in the Highlands are vital routes for trade, commerce and tourism. The A9, A96 and A82 are the main arteries that are used by the large trucks carrying goods into the Highlands. There are also a lot of lorries carrying timber and oversize loads being transported to the wind farms on the roads in the north.

The ALBA Party believes that:

A Highland and Islands Road Infrastructure Program is established that will specifically address the problem of single-track roads in the highlands and upgrade all important single-track roads to double width.

The dualling of the A9 and A96 is long overdue. The Scottish Government should make these two major infrastructure projects and immediate priority.

The A82 Inverness – Fort William – Glasgow road is another vital link in our infrastructure that requires upgrading.