Error adding SQL Server Unit Test object to Unit Test project in visual studio 2017

When adding a SQL Server Unit Test item to a Unit Test project in visual studio 2017, I get the following error:

The reference "Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.UnitTestFramework, 
Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, 
processorArchitecture=MSIL" could not be added to the project. 
This wizard will continue to run, but the resulting project may not build properly.

      

        
        
        
      

    

It looks like the project builds well, but all sql module tests fail with the following error:

Test Name:  SqlTest1
Test FullName:  UnitTestProject1.SqlServerUnitTest1.SqlTest1
Test Source:    c:\[path]\SqlServerUnitTest1.cs : line 34
Test Outcome:   Failed
Test Duration:  0:00:00.0278356

Result StackTrace:  
at System.RuntimeType.TryChangeType(Object value, Binder binder, CultureInfo culture, Boolean needsSpecialCast)
   at System.RuntimeType.CheckValue(Object value, Binder binder, CultureInfo culture, BindingFlags invokeAttr)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBase.CheckArguments(Object[] parameters, Binder binder, BindingFlags invokeAttr, CultureInfo culture, Signature sig)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.InvokeArgumentsCheck(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimePropertyInfo.SetValue(Object obj, Object value, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] index, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimePropertyInfo.SetValue(Object obj, Object value, Object[] index)

Result Message:
  Unable to set TestContext property for the class
  UnitTestProject1.SqlServerUnitTest1. 
  Error: System.ArgumentException: Object of type
  'Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestPlatform.MSTestAdapter.PlatformServices.TestContextImplementation' 
  cannot be converted to type 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting.TestContext'..

      

        
        
        
      

    

_{[I have already solved this and will add my fix as an answer below, I am creating this to document the solution for others who may find useful. I will still wonder if anyone else has experienced this and can shed some light on the reason]}