New proposals for major dual carriageway passing close by Findhorn Bay

New maps are now available showing three route options for the dualling of the A96 round Forres. Two of the three proposed routes pass between Forres and Findhorn Bay, with the closest route passing just 0.5km from the edge of the Bay.

Consultants have ruled out the possibility of the new dual carriageway following the current footprint of the A96 at Forres, and have instead given 3 options for routes through countryside around Forres: two to the North of Forres near Findhorn Bay, and one to the South of Forres near Rafford. 

This website is for information about the North routes only: readers who would like to find out more about the South routes can see them using the Maps link in the navigation bar above.

Impact on Findhorn Bay area

The proposed roads to the North of Forres will cut right through the drainage basin for Findhorn Bay. It will be seen and heard from the North of Forres right to Findhorn village and throughout the corridor, affecting local residents and tourists alike, as well as impacting important coastal ecosystems, destroying prime agricultural land, and threatening local businesses of national and international significance, such as Benromach Distillery and Christies Elite.

Transport Scotland published this visualisation of the road.

The scale of the road

You can see the scale of the proposed road in the image shown here, taken from a visualisation provided by Transport Scotland's consultants for the Nairn section. The proposed road is a full sized dual carriageway with central reservation and hard shoulders. The width of the road itself is expected to be around 50 metres, but due to the low-lying land, watercourses and local roads in the area to the North of Forres, the road would be raised as much as 9 metres high in some sections – higher, if noise barriers are included. The amount of material required to raise the road this high will extend the footprint to many times this width. In addition to this, huge tanks, many acres in size, will be installed to contain water running off the road, before it drains into the groundwater and then into the drainage systems running towards Findhorn Bay.

In other words, this is the single highest impact infrastructure project this area has ever seen, and its effect will be immense and permanent. The current views that are enjoyed from Forres, Califer and surrounding areas towards the bay and mountains beyond will be irrevocably interrupted by a wide, busy road.

It is crucial that local residents make their voices heard as soon as possible so that Transport Scotland and their consultants (Mott Macdonald Sweco), and local politicians understand concerns that people may have about these proposed roads.