Transport Scotland has appointed consultants to design the new scheme, which will see road widening along 80 miles of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
The road is notorious throughout the country for being the most dangerous road in Scotland. Almost 70 people were killed on the A9 between 2006 and 2010, giving it the highest number of fatalities of any road in Scotland.
Two companies, Halcrow and Jacobs, have been given the task of undertaking environmental assessments and carrying out preliminary engineering work, respectively.
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The government aims to have the project all completed by 2025.
Transport minister Keith Brown said on Tuesday: "This £3bn complex and challenging programme will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history and will ensure safer roads, less congestion and a better quality of life for road users and local communities.
"We are the first government to commit to a full A9 dualling programme. This commitment will deliver major economic benefits to road users, businesses, communities and industry who live along or use this important lifeline route between central Scotland and the Highlands and Islands.
"This will also be the first time that the whole A9 corridor between Perth and Inverness has been looked at. The work these contractors are undertaking will give Transport Scotland a much fuller understanding of the route and set the foundations for the detailed design", he said.
(IT)
