The long-running A96 dualling saga incurred even more delays - because SNP transport secretary Fiona Hyslop sat on final review documents for three months before publishing them, the P&J has revealed.
Publication of the review of the project, which sets out the case against fully dualling the Aberdeen to Inverness road, was already years late when it was finally made public in November.
Despite the SNP policy pledge to complete a full dual, alternatives including bypasses at Elgin and Keith have now been tabled with a 12-week consultation on the plans.
But now, The Press and Journal reports, Ms Hyslop has revealed she was informed of the "emerging outcomes" of the independent review as early as February, and received a final copy on August 28 - around three months before it was published and the new consultation announced.