The future of the deadliest stretch of the A9, where 13 people lost their lives last year, will be discussed at Holyrood.

© STV

Plans to improve the safety of the most dangerous road in Scotland will be debated by MSPs on Thursday.

Proposals to dual the A9 Dunblane to Inverness road north of Perth will be discussed in the Scottish Parliament.

In 2010, 13 people were killed on the road between Perth and Inverness, while it has had the highest death rate of any road in Scotland four times since 2004.

Murdo Fraser, Conservative deputy leader, has secured the debate on plans to dual the majority of the road north of Perth, most of which is still single carriageway.

He said: “The A9 is officially Scotland’s most dangerous road with the highest fatality rate of any road in Scotland.

“It witnesses on average over 200 road accidents per year and has had the highest or joint-highest death rate of any road in Scotland in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

“While the Scottish Government statisticians are still to release figures for accidents for all roads in Scotland for 2009 and 2010, I believe that they will only confirm once again what road users of the A9 know already: that this is Scotland’s deadliest road.

“All politicians must realise that behind these statistics there are many families and friends who have lost loved ones. Being Scotland’s most dangerous road is a terrible accolade to hold and the A9 continues to claim too many lives.

“I fully accept that dualling the A9 will not end accidents on the road but it is clear that dualling this road will greatly reduce the number of accidents and save lives. The major problems with the A9 between Perth and Inverness are the long and dangerous stretches of single carriageway and the fact that the road continually switches between single and dual carriageway.”

Mr Fraser concluded: “If the A9 is dualled in its entirety then both of these problems will be eradicated and I am sure that we will see a reduction in the number of fatalities and serious accidents.”

In 2005 the Scottish Government said that dualling the A9 would cost £600m, while a report commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and transport campaign group Hitrans in 2007 claimed it would generate £1bn for the regional economy every year.

Last November a new overtaking lane of the A9 at Moy, which cost £2.6m, was closed after Transport Scotland felt that there were design faults that had made it more dangerous than previously.

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