A96 Dualling Hardmuir to Fochabers, UK

The project is crucial to developing and promoting economic growth through Scotland’s cities and their regions, and meeting the ambitious growth aspirations of local development plans. In 2016, Transport Scotland appointed the Mott MacDonald Sweco JV to carry out route option assessment and, later, detailed design work for dualling the 46km western section of the A96 between Hardmuir and Fochabers.

Opportunity

Improving connectivity across Scotland’s central belt and access to local labour is key to enabling the region to reap the long-term economic benefits of offshore renewable energy generation. It’s in this context that the strategic business case for dualling the A96 was developed. The existing western section of the road cannot be widened owing to its proximity to communities such as Forres, Elgin and Fochabers, so a predominantly new offline stretch of dual carriageway will be built.

This will pass through a region that’s affected by extensive flood risk zones and home to several national and international conservation sites. Providing a route option for the new road had to reflect objectives Transport Scotland committed to through the A96 Dualling Programme Sustainability Strategy.

Solution

The new dual carriageway will cross three major rivers, the Findhorn, the Lossie and the Spey. We carried out hydraulic modelling covering extreme weather events, such as a one-in-200-year flood, and considering predicted climate change impacts. This means the A96 will not impact flood risk zones or potential receptors, such as homes or businesses. On flood plains – where the road will be constructed on an embankment – we’ve been mindful to retain existing flow channels and compensate for any loss of floodplain storage.

Multiple environmental designations had to be considered, including SSSIs, SACs, SPAs, Ramsar sites and Scheduled Monuments/Battlefields. In places, this made the process of identifying an appropriate route similar to threading a needle. We worked with bodies such as the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland to define the preferred route.

Outcome

Our flood modelling means the dualling scheme will not adversely affect regional climate resilience in the face of potential future changes to weather patterns. Engaging with the key statutory authorities helped us determine effective solutions to the environmental challenges posed by route options.

We’ll be using our Carbon Portal tool as the dualling scheme develops to help cost-effectively control its carbon footprint. The preferred route option was presented to the public in December 2018 and has been well received: a response aided by the public exhibitions held and feedback received about the project. Transport Scotland will continue to consult the statutory environmental bodies and maintain rigorous public engagement as the route is refined prior to the start of construction.