TEN YEARS AGO Friday, August 3, 2012
A83 closed again
Urgent calls have been made on the Scottish Government to prioritise plans for a relief road at the Rest and be Thankful following a ‘predictable’ fourth landslide on the trunk route this year.
The A83 remained closed as the Argyllshire Advertiser went to press on Thursday morning after heavy rainfall dislodged up to 1,000 tons of debris from the hillside.
The road was closed following an initial landslide on Wednesday afternoon.
Subsequently the planned overnight closure on the A82 for road works at Pulpit Rock on Wednesday was cancelled.
Argyll’s elected representatives have issued urgent pleas to the Scottish Government to push on with work on a diversion route, which was due to begin this month.
Alan Reid, Argyll and Bute MP, said: ‘At the meeting hosted by Mid Argyll Chamber of Commerce in Kilmory on March 2, Transport Scotland promised me that the emergency diversion road would be in place before the landslide season started in August.
‘Right on cue, a landslide has happened at the start of August, but work has still not even started on the emergency relief road.’
Donald Kelly, from the Argyll First group of councillors behind the Sign up for the A83 campaign and petition, said the situation was inevitable.
‘It was very predictable,’ he said. ‘If we clear the rubble today and there is more heavy rain tomorrow we are back in exactly the same situation.
‘My main concern is with the fact that we rely heavily on the hauliers that take everything in and out of Argyll and Bute and some of these are operating on very tight profit margins.
‘The due process on the petition is very slow and the Scottish Government response on this has been slow.
‘Every time there’s a slip they say they’re on the case.’
Michael Russell, Argyll and Bute MSP, said: ‘The repeated closure of the road is causing worry, upset and expense to business and local residents.
‘I continue to press this issue within government as a matter of the utmost urgency.
‘A short-term solution needs to be found immediately. The status quo is unacceptable.’
Transport Scotland said geotechnical experts would continue to assess the instability of the hillside above the road and the closure would remain in place until the assessment is completed.