12 December 2008
By David Scott
A multibillion-pound transport blueprint for Scotland has been announced by transport minister Stewart Stevenson.
Confirming details of the 20-year investment programme on December 10, Stevenson described it as the 'biggest and most ambitious Scottish transport plan ever published'. The 28 priorities identified would help grow the Scottish economy, he said.
The biggest single project in the plan is a replacement Forth Bridge. The cost of the new toll-free crossing had been reduced to between £1.72bn and £2.34bn, compared with the previous estimate of £4bn, as the financial climate had 'materially changed', Stevenson told MSPs. Other projects include the upgrading of the main A9 route to the Highlands and improvements to rail networks.
Stevenson said the Scottish Government was fast-tracking major infrastructure projects, such as the Forth replacement crossing and rail improvements.
Details of the method for funding the projects have yet to be announced. Stevenson said the Scottish Futures Trust — the planned replacement for the Private Finance Initiative — would be central to 'securing maximum value for money for the public purse'. But he warned that 'external factors' could affect funding of the programme.
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