A balance between safety and the environmental concerns must be considered when dualling the A9, a local politician has said.
Green MSP Mark Ruskell recently visited sites along the proposed “offline” route and said he was “shocked” by the potential impact it could have.
He also met with members of the No to A9 Offline Working Group, who are opposing a new alternative route proposal, as well as organisers from the Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group who are also raising community concerns about the project.
The proposed A9 online expansion route will cut into woodland at Birnam and impact on parts of Dunkeld.
The A9 offline route which has been proposed as an alternative would affect residential and business properties near Guay and Kindallachan.
Mr Ruskell said it would also cut through a number of local farms and woodland habitat where otters and pine marten are reported to live.
“I’m shocked at how completely inappropriate the A9 offline option is,” he said.
“It would decimate a fresh corridor away from the current A9, destroying businesses, homes and wildlife habitats. I can only assume this has been dreamed up to distract attention away from the concerns that exist around the proposed online route between Birnam and Ballinluig.
“The A9 dualling project may have widespread political and business support but it cannot come at any cost to our environment and communities along the route.”
He added: “The design brief for this project must reflect the fact that there are a number of sensitive stretches where compromises will have to be made over speed in order to preserve the integrity of Highland Perthshire communities.
“This is not a project to build an eight lane autobahn- it’s an A road upgrade where a balanced approach to safety and the environment must be put ahead of the race to cut another minute off the journey time to Inverness.
“The contractors Jakobs and Transport Scotland should pause while they rebuild the trust with communities that has been destroyed in recent months through bungled consultations and fantasy alternative route proposals.”
