• Carriageway works to start on Monday 18 September for nine nights
• Convoy with traffic lights and B9150 road closure with diversion

BEAR Scotland, Transport Scotland’s trunk road operating company, is set to start essential road improvement works on the A9 single carriageway at the B9150 Newtonmore/Ralia Junction south of Kingussie, beginning on the night of Monday 18 September 2023 and spanning over nine nights.

Scope of Work and Schedule

The project entails comprehensive carriageway upgrades at the Newtonmore/Ralia Junction, aimed at enhancing road safety and conditions for motorists. These upgrades will cover a total of 380 meters on the A9.

The improvement works are scheduled to be completed by 6am on Friday 29 September 2023. There will be no works on Friday or Saturday nights.

Please see below programme for clarity.

Traffic Management

Start date: Monday 18 September 2023, 7pm

End date: Friday 29 September 2023, 6am

Traffic Management: Convoy with two-way traffic lights on the A9 and closure of the B9150 in the vicinity of the A9 junction with a diversion route provided until 6am Friday 25 September. Convoy with traffic lights from 7pm Friday 25 September until 6am Friday 29 September.

Main A9 to A86 Diversion Route:

• A signed diversion route will be in place to guide motorists around the road closure and work areas. For those travelling from the A9 to the A86, the diversion route will lead from the A9/B9150 Newtonmore/Ralia Junction northward to Kingussie. Subsequently, traffic will be directed onto the A86 via the Kingussie off slip, proceeding west through Kingussie and on to Newtonmore where the diversion route ends.  The reverse diversion route will be in place for traffic travelling from the A86 to the A9.

• There will be two points where limited access will be allowed along the B9150 during the closure. The first point is at the southern end of the B9150 closure, which is between the A9/B9150 Newtonmore/Ralia Junction and the B9150 Junction to the Ralia Cafe. The second point is at the northern end of the B9150 closure, which is between the junction of Ralia Lodge and the A86/B9150 Junction. 

• The B9150 will be fully closed between the A9 and the Ralia Café Junction. However, this closure will permit entry only to local residents, emergency services, and construction related traffic. 

• Both ends of the closure will be staffed and managed.

B9150 Newtonmore Businesses’ & Residents’ Diversion Route:

• For northbound A9 traffic wishing to get to the B9150 to access properties and businesses, a signed diversion route will be in place to guide motorists around the road closure and work areas. For those travelling from the A9 to the B9150, the diversion route will lead from the A9 using the Ralia Café NB Off Slip, traffic will bypass the works and rejoin the B9150.

• For southbound A9 traffic that would normally use the B9150 to access properties and businesses, a signed diversion route will be in place to guide motorists around the road closure and work areas. For those travelling southbound on the A9 to Newtonmore, the diversion route will lead from the A9 using the Kingussie SB Off Slip, then heading onto the A86 through Kingussie and then on to Newtonmore, traffc can then re-join the B9150.

Access through the works site for emergency services will be maintained at all times.

Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “This crucial surfacing project along the A9 will fix existing defects and significantly enhance the driving experience for all motorists. Our teams are committed to executing these works quickly and with safety as our top priority. We extend our gratitude to the local community and road users for their patience while we complete the improvements.

“To minimise delays, we recommend that motorists plan their journeys in advance by consulting the Traffic Scotland website for real-time travel updates.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.traffic.gov.scot or Twitter @trafficscotland.