roads
Wills Bros lined up for £220m A9 Pitlochry to Killiecrankie dualling contract
Transport Scotland has named Wills Bros Civil Engineering as preferred bidder for the fifth A9 dualling section, a 6.4km stretch with nine bridges, giving the contractor two consecutive sections of the route.
Scottish ministers intend to award Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd the contract to dual 6.4km of the A9 between Pitlochry and Killiecrankie, Transport Scotland announced on 20 October 2026.
Stephen Flynn, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, announced the decision. Transport Scotland said the contract will be formally awarded once a mandatory standstill period has been completed, making it the fifth A9 dualling project to go to construction.
The agency put the Scottish Government investment at £220.02 million. When procurement started on 24 July 2025 and when the shortlist was published, Transport Scotland valued the project at £205 million at Q2 2025 prices.
Mr Flynn said: "This contract award marks another significant milestone in the Scottish Government's £3.97 billion investment to dual the A9." Transport Scotland's programme overview page gives the A9 dualling budget as £3.7 billion.
The scheme
Transport Scotland said the section will deliver new grade-separated junctions, active travel routes and flood mitigation measures. The agency's project page describes the work as improving junctions and road layout within a constrained corridor.
The job involves building or upgrading nine bridges, according to the shortlist announcement. They include a new crossing of the River Tummel beside the existing Tummel Bridge, a new bridge beside the Clunie Bridge over Loch Faskally, and a new rail bridge over the Highland Main Line.
The project page describes the River Tummel structure as a 160m span and the Loch Faskally structure as a 150m span, both to be widened, with construction taking place alongside and over the railway.
Advance works are already under way around the site, Transport Scotland said, including archaeological investigations, tree felling and demolition of vacant properties.
The Road Orders and Compulsory Purchase Order for the section were made on 27 October 2021 and came into force on 26 November 2021, according to the project page.
Jobs and supply chain
Transport Scotland said the contract is expected to create 60 new full time equivalent jobs, along with 17 graduate, 11 apprentice and eight new entrant positions. It expects about £33 million of opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and suppliers local to the site.
The contractor's social value commitments include £350,000 of investment, 300 hours of volunteering for local community projects and 300 hours of school and STEM engagement.
Mr Flynn said: "Alongside delivering a safer and more resilient A9, this contract will create jobs, develop skills, provide opportunities for local businesses and invest directly in the communities it serves."
Two consecutive sections
The decision gives Wills Bros the neighbouring fourth and fifth sections of the route. Transport Scotland earlier announced its intention to award the company the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig section, a £152.7 million contract at Q2 2025 prices forming part of a £257 million investment.
Wills Bros was shortlisted for Pitlochry to Killiecrankie alongside Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd and Kier Transportation Ltd. Fiona Hyslop, then Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said when the shortlist was named that the dialogue stage was part of the approach to drive value for money for the Scottish taxpayer.
The company describes itself as a family-run civil engineering business operating since 1972 across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. Its portfolio lists earlier A9 work at Kincraig to Dalraddy, as well as the A77 Maybole Bypass and the A939 New Gairnshiel Bridge.
Transport Scotland's published investment figures for three A9 sections are set out below.
| A9 section | Scottish Government investment (£m) |
|---|---|
| Pitlochry to Killiecrankie | 220.02 |
| Tay Crossing to Ballinluig | 257 |
| Tomatin to Moy | 296 |
What happens next
After award, Wills Bros will mobilise and carry out detailed planning, and will hold a series of 'Meet the Contractor' events for communities around the project, Transport Scotland said. The agency will communicate traffic management arrangements through its own and the A9 Dualling Programme channels.
Transport Scotland expects the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig dual carriageway to open by the end of 2028, at which point 45% of the A9 between Perth and Inverness will be dualled. The Pitlochry to Killiecrankie section is expected to be operational by the end of 2030; the trigger announcement says this will help ensure 50% of the route is dualled by then, while the July 2025 procurement notice said "almost 50%".
The wider programme aims to upgrade 83 miles of single carriageway between Perth and Inverness, with completion expected in 2035.
Sources
- Transport Scotland (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Transport Scotland (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Transport Scotland (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Transport Scotland (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Transport Scotland (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Transport Scotland (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Wills Bros Civil Engineering (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-20)
This story was researched from the primary sources above and checked against them before publication. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it promptly.
