Transport Scotland can "tweak preferred route"
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MORAY's MSP toured the preferred route of the dualled A96 between Hardmuir and Fochabers.
During the tour, Richard Lochhead took the opportunity to raise some constituent concerns about the choice of preferred route with Transport Scotland's project manager Niamh Callaghan and the on-site team, including MMSJV contract director, Iain Scott.
Mr Lochhead said: "The dualling of the A96 will be transformational for Moray and will bring huge economic benefits to the area.
"The project manager is aware of concerns in Forres about the section to the north of the town. Whichever route around Forres had been proposed would have attracted supporters or opponents given the scale of the project. It sounds like Transport Scotland are working hard to keep communication channels open and they told me that as things move forward, tweaks to the preferred route could be made."
Transport Scotland is taking forward the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option between Forres and Findhorn Bay, which will culminate in the publication of draft orders for formal comment as part of the statutory planning process.
Mr Lochhead added: "Getting a tour of this stretch really brought home the scale of the project and the SNP Government’s investment in Moray’s infrastructure. It was helpful to discuss some of the strategic issues around the need to include connections for cycle routes and also about the impact on some individual properties.”
