Tay crossing project given £40m funding boost

The Scottish Government is to fund the remaining £40 million required to construct the Cross Tay Link Road at Perth, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.The £120m project, which will link the A9 over the River Tay to the A93 and A94 north of Scone, aims to reduce congestion in Perth and open up sites for housing and economic development.Included in the Tay Cities Region Deal, the Cross Tay Link Road is part of Perth & Kinross Council’s Perth Transport Futures plan. Sweco was appointed as design consultants for the project in July 2017. Ms Sturgeon today confirmed that £40m will be invested in the new road, while a further £10m will fund an industrial investment programme to support manufacturing businesses across the region – covering Dundee, Perth, Angus and the north of Fife.The funding is in addition to the Scottish Government’s £150m commitment to the Tay Cities Region Deal and brings overall Scottish Government investment in the area to £200m over the next ten to 15 years.Councillor Murray Lyle, leader of Perth & Kinross Council, welcomed the announcement on behalf of the Tay Cities Deal partnership.The heads of terms agreement for the Tay Cities Region Deal was signed in November with both the Scottish and UK Governments committing £150m to a deal.A working group led by Scottish Enterprise will be set up to oversee the development of the industrial investment programme.