Earthworks mark construction phase of Cross Tay Link Road

Construction starts in earnest on the Cross Tay Link Road project this month with the beginning of earthworks on site.

A key part of the project, upwards of one million cubic metres of earth will be moved, the equivalent of filling more then 400 Olympic sized swimming pools. All of this material will stay on site to be redeployed elsewhere on the job and ensure that the absolute minimum amount of material is brought to site from elsewhere.

‘To help keep carbon emissions to a minimum, this project has been designed to recycle every tonne of earth that needs to be moved. All earth excavations will be moved to form other features over the course of the construction,’ said main contractor BAM Nuttall’s project manager, Derek Walsh.

The work will require a temporary speed limit of 50mph on a four mile stretch of the A9 from the Inveralmond roundabout north. This will be in place for an 18 month period.

The Cross Tay project involves the construction of a new 3-span bridge over the River Tay and six kilometres of new road linking the A9 with the A93 and the A94 north of Scone. It also includes the realignment of two kilometres of dual carriageway on the A9 just north of Inveralmond Roundabout.

The new road will significantly reduce traffic congestion and related pollution in Perth city centre. It is the largest infrastructure project Perth and Kinross Council have ever undertaken.

Perth and Kinross Council’s Roads Infrastructure, Jillian Ferguson said:

‘By keeping all earth movements within the site boundary, we have in place a sustainable plan that will prevent extra construction traffic being added to the roads network as a result of earthworks operations, with the increased pressure that would put on traffic flows in and around the city.’

Cross Tay is phase two of the Perth Transport Futures project