Construction of the new multimillion-pound Cross Tay Link Road (CTLR) is now underway with a due completion date of early 2025.
Following a robust procurement process, in August 2021 engineering and construction group BAM Nuttall were awarded the contract for the design and advance works of the project, with site preparation works in advance of the main construction carried out in the first half of 2022.
Funded by Perth & Kinross Council and the Scottish Government via the Tay Cities Region Deal, the Cross Tay Link Road has been heralded as playing a vital role in the future of Perth and Kinross – both economically and environmentally.
It will involve the construction of a new three-span bridge over the River Tay and a six-kilometre stretch of new carriageway linking the A9 and the A93 to Blairgowrie and the A94, just north of Scone. It also includes the construction of two kilometres of realigned dual carriageway on the A9 just north of the Inveralmond Roundabout.
Addressing the long-term transportation needs of the area, the project offers a solution to the longstanding concerns about air quality in Perth by diverting traffic away from the most congested and polluted parts of the city centre.
“It is predicted that the crossing will lead to £966 million of private sector investment in housing and employment”
As well as this, the aim during the build is to be as close to a net zero carbon development as possible, underscoring Perth’s intention to become one of the most sustainable small cities in Europe.
Economically, the project plays a vital role in delivering on the Council’s ambitions for Perth city and the wider region and will promote future economic growth and development of the surrounding area. Early estimates show that for every pound spent on the capital cost of the CTLR it will generate £4.30 in revenue – bringing an additional £484 million of value to the economy.
Around this, it is predicted that the crossing will lead to £966 million of private sector investment in housing and employment.
Residents and workers in the Bertha Park development in western Perth, which has seen 3,000 new homes and a new secondary school open in the past three years, will gain easy access across the A9 and the Tay and future plans also include the exciting Perth West development a 20+ hectare eco-innovation park, supporting hundreds of new jobs.
The Cross Tay Link Road is the flagship development of the Perth Transport Futures Project, which aims to take a holistic approach to managing traffic across Perth and Kinross.