The Scottish Government has been urged to act after a new report revealed that a major road is a fatality hotspot, which has led to hundreds of traffic accidents.
The shocking new figures found that the A9 between Perth and Inverness is a deadly route, with 28 people killed and more than 300 injured in crashes over the past four years.
The casualty toll on Scotland's most dangerous road was exposed through a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives, which found 321 collisions resulting in injury between 2021-22 and 2024-25.
The figures showed that 13 people died in 2022-23 alone, while 134 crashes were classified as resulting in serious injuries and 159 as minor injuries.
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The Scottish Conservatives have warned that the delayed project would put more lives at risk
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The revelations have reignited political fury over the long-delayed dualling project for the 83-mile stretch of single carriageway, with the Scottish Tories declaring "enough is enough" and demanding urgent action to prevent further deaths.
The road has been at the centre of a political storm for years, with the route running through the Scottish National Party's First Minister John Swinney's North Perthshire constituency.
Transport Spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives, Sue Webber, accused the Scottish Government of a "shameful betrayal" of those who rely on the road.
She said: "These shocking figures reveal the appalling casualty toll on the A9. The SNP first promised to upgrade Scotland's most dangerous road in 2011, yet 14 years later, lives are still being lost and motorists and local communities will have to wait at least another decade for upgrades that should have been completed by now."
The A9 has seen hundreds of crashes over the years due to its lack of a central reserve
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She warned that every day that goes by without this vital road being dualled by the Scottish Government "is putting more lives at risk".
The Conservatives have proposed passing emergency legislation to expedite the dualling process, including fast-tracking environmental studies, which they claim could see the road completed by the end of the next Scottish Parliament.
"Dualling this road is a matter of life and death," Webber said. "That's why the Scottish Conservatives are stepping up with bold action to get the job done."
Independent MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Fergus Ewing, highlighted evidence from the Road Safety Foundation showing that accident risks are three times greater on single carriageways compared with dual carriageways and 10 times greater than on motorways.
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He noted the heightened danger from the A9's alternating dual and single carriageway sections, warning that with no central barrier to separate the cars, "head-on collisions are a far, far greater risk".
The Scottish Government first pledged to complete the dualling project by 2025 when it was announced in December 2011 as part of its Infrastructure Investment Plan.
However, in April 2023, the deadline was pushed back by a decade to 2035, with the total cost estimated at £3.7billion.
Transport Scotland's delivery plan, announced in December 2023, envisages that nearly 50 per cent of the route will be dual carriageway by 2030, rising to 85 per cent by 2033.
The Scottish Conservatives have criticised the Government for delaying the dualling of the A9
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Transport Scotland has defended its approach, stating environmental assessments are already underway ahead of the upgrade plans.
A spokesperson said: "Our sympathies are with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured on Scotland's roads. One death is one too many, which is why we have increased our road safety budget to a record £48million to address road casualties across the road network."
The spokesperson confirmed continuous dualling construction is taking place from now until 2035, with the third section, running from Tomatin to Moy, already under construction and the fourth section, Tay Crossing to Ballinluig, due for award this summer.
"We are also actively considering whether there is any way that we can fast-track work, including opportunities for undertaking 'advance works' ahead of main construction contracts," they added.
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