A9 road

	Template: Infobox high-ranking street / Maintenance / GB-A
	A9 road in the UK
	map
	Basic data
Operator:
Start of the street:	Polmont ; ( 56 ° 0 ′ N , 3 ° 43 ′ W )
End of street:	Scrabster ; ( 58 ° 37 ′ N , 3 ° 33 ′ W )
Overall length:	439 km (272.8 mi )
Countries :	Scotland
	The A9 at Dalwhinnie
	Falkirk
	Stirling
	Perth and Kinross
	Highland

The A9 road ( English for, A9), and Highland Highway called, is with a length of 439 km the longest trunk road in Scotland . It runs in a north-south direction and connects Falkirk , located in the Central Belt , with Scrabster on the Pentland Firth . It is part of European Route 15 between Perth and Inverness .

course

The M9 motorway , which branches off the M8 west of Edinburgh in a northerly direction , is the forerunner of the A9. The A9 itself begins as a junction from the M9 east of Falkirk. It follows the M9 northwest for its first 20 miles and crosses it southeast of Bannockburn . Between Bridge of Allan and Dunblane , the M9 ends at a roundabout and merges with the A9 again. On this first section of the route, the A9 runs through the cities of Falkirk, Bannockburn, St Ninians and Stirling . After the confluence of the M9, the road leads in a north-easterly direction to Perth , where the M90 joins when coming from the south. The A9 then heads north into the Highlands . At Inverness it crosses the Beauly Firth on the Kessock Bridge and about 20 km further on at Dingwall the Cromarty Firth . Mostly following the coastline, the A9 crosses the Dornoch Firth west of Tain on the Dornoch Firth Bridge . It then follows the coastal profile to Latheron , where it turns north and finally reaches Thurso and Scrabster.

On a long stretch between Perth and Inverness, the Highland Main Line runs along the A9. The Far North Line essentially follows its course between Dingwall and Tain and between Golspie and Helmsdale .

Tunnel guidance at the city passage of Stirling
Kessock Bridge over the Beauly Firth
Dornoch Firth Bridge
Far North Line tracks parallel to the A9

expansion

The A9 between Dunblane and Perth is built like a motorway and has two lanes in each direction. This concept will not be continued north of Perth and the A9 is only partially expanded to two lanes in each direction as far as Inverness. North of Inverness there is only one lane in each direction. The change between one and two-lane expansion, however, leads to an increased frequency of accidents on these sections. Other hotspots are the roundabouts at Keir (merging with the M9) and Broxden (merging with the M90).

The complete four-lane expansion of the A9 to Inverness is currently being discussed. In addition to increasing capacity, this would also reduce travel time and reduce the number of accidents. On the other hand, the environmental compatibility of such an expansion is rated negatively. It is planned to expand in two stages. As part of the first stage, the two-lane expansion between Perth and Blair Atholl will take place. In addition, renovation work at the intersections between Dunblane and Perth and at two roundabouts should lead to a reduction in the number of accidents. Slow lanes are to be set up on inclines between Blair Atholl and Inverness . These measures are estimated to cost between £ 500m and £ 1bn to implement . The second stage includes the complete four-lane expansion to Inverness. It is estimated at £ 1.5–3 billion. The Scottish government has signaled that construction will start in 2012 if the necessary financial resources are available. A period up to 2025 is being discussed for the realization of both stages.

meaning

There are several major cities along the A9, which the road connects to the trunk road network:

It is the only Scottish trunk road that runs for long stretches from north to south and is considered the backbone of the sparsely populated Highlands. In the north, the A9 ends at Scrabster Pier, which the ferry to the Orkneys calls at, making it an important factor in the transport of people and goods to the archipelago.