First Minister raises A83 hopes as businesses suffer
After 13 years of regular landslides on the A83, roadside nets being erected and ‘catch pits’ dug, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week raised hopes of a permanent engineering solution to resolve the problem at the Rest and be Thankful.
When one of the biggest slides in living memory closed the road on August 4, local politicians joined forces last week to demand action in a letter to transport secretary Michael Matheson and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The trunk route remains shut for ‘complex repairs’ which are expected to take another fortnight to complete, yet the old military road used as a detour past the stricken section in Glen Croe has also proved vulnerable. With the risk of debris falling during heavy rainfall, trunk road operator BEAR Scotland has taken no chances.
With every forecast of significant rain, safety concerns have forced numerous overnight closures, leaving drivers to reach Mid Argyll, Cowal, Kintyre and the islands via Crianlarich and Dalmally or take Western Ferries across the Clyde during operating hours.
The economy of Argyll has taken an unwelcome hit after the long months of Covid-19 lockdown, but the primary concern expressed by politicians is over the long-term safety of the route for the public.
Against this backdrop, the First Minister raised hopes of action at last week’s First Minister’s Questions. Ms Sturgeon said of the Rest and be Thankful: ‘This is the utmost priority on the part of government and clearly there is a lot of work to be done on developing that solution.’
Argyll and Bute MSP and Colintraive resident Michael Russell uses the A83 regularly travelling back and forth to Edinburgh and said he is ‘someone who knows just how inconvenient this is’.
Mr Russell continued: ‘The letter from the council leader, group leaders and MSPs was clear – they are demanding a new road to replace the present one, and are indicating what they think as an acceptable timescale for that to happen.
‘The First Minister made it clear at FMQs last week that action was essential and there is no action that will make a permanent difference other than a new road. That is also the basis of the discussions I have had with the transport minister.
‘So I expect a new road to be
‘I expect a new road to be the focus of attention and the substantive issue will be how quickly that can be achieved.’
the focus of attention and the substantive issue will be how quickly that can be achieved.’
Action may be essential, but to date Argyll and Bute Council has heard nothing concrete. Council leader Aileen Morton said: ‘I’ve received no formal confirmation that the Scottish Government is looking to accelerate a solution for the Rest and be Thankful ahead of the Strategic Transport Projects Review process, although that is clearly what is needed. The options previously identified were evaluated on the basis of information that is now nearly a decade old. This information needs updated and we need a commitment from the Scottish Government to fund the most appropriate solution, not just the cheapest one.’
Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara meanwhile reiterated his call for a tunnel through the hills.
Speaking after a site visit at the Rest with Kevin Campbell, Senior Operations Manager at BEAR Scotland and Arrochar councillor Iain ‘Shonny’ Paterson, Mr O’Hara said: ‘This is the second major landslip this year that has resulted in the road being closed. With everything the economy of the area has been through in 2020, this was the last thing our hospitality and tourism sector needed.
‘I appreciate the heroic efforts of the BEAR Scotland workforce in building the mitigation pits and in clearing debris from the road – these are massive tasks – but we cannot go on second guessing this hillside; one which will become increasingly unstable due to climate change and increased rainfall.’
Mr O’Hara recently joined engineers constructing undersea tunnels in the Faroe Islands and said that he hoped that the construction of a tunnel would be given ‘serious consideration’ by those charged with finding the answer.
He added: ‘I have seen these tunnels from construction to completion; they work and have proven to be value for money in the long term. If the rest of northern Europe can build tunnels to connect their rural communities and their islands, there is absolutely no reason why Scotland cannot.
‘Our ambition for the future should not be limited by what we have done in the past.’
The next meeting of the A83 Taskforce – a group comprised of local and national government representatives, contractors, businesspeople and community figures – is scheduled for August 27.