Businessman raises serious concerns about Argyll road
editor@campbeltowncourier.co.uk
An Argyll businessman is calling for action over his concerns about the “treacherous” condition of the A83 road between Glasgow and Campbeltown.
William Ross says urgent maintenance work is needed on the road, which he believes is becoming “more and more dangerous” because of flooding and associated issues, including standing water, road surface deterioration and soft verges. Furthermore, he fears Mid Argyll and Campbeltown are at risk of becoming “shut off” from the world, with the lifeline road “impassable, at times,” during particularly wet weather.
He said: “During a recent journey, there were seven places between Glasgow and Campbeltown – especially between Lochgilphead and Campbeltown – where we were down to single file traffic because no one could see the edge of the road due to the level of surface water.
“There are many bits of the road where, if two lorries meet, they’re almost on the verges and they are so soft just now that all the lorries have to do is touch the grass and it will pull them in like a magnet.”
Mr Ross, who has 20 years’ experience of building roads with a local contracting company, added: “When you travel up and down the road, you rarely see anyone ditching, cleaning offlets or doing any maintenance. There used to be a designated squad, all year round, but I don’t know when last I saw any maintenance being done.
“They’ve been resurfacing recently but they are not looking at why that is needed: because the ditches are full and the water is lying on the road – the roads will keep cracking at the edges and they will keep potholing until they start ditching and cutting offlets to get rid of water.
“Anyone who knows anything about roads knows that water is the enemy, and to motorists, it’s dangerous.
“And in winter, if that water freezes, I dread to think what could happen. So much of it could be avoided just by cutting and clearing
offlets and ditching – it’s not all multi-million pound jobs. These problems have been caused by a lack of effort and a lack of hunger to keep the road maintained. Prevention is the best method; they need to be proactive, not reactive.”
Mr Ross contacted BEAR Scotland, which is responsible for maintenance, and has spoken to Police Scotland and local councillors, about his concerns.
During a particularly wet day recently, on a journey between Campbeltown and Glasgow, he said he did not see any BEAR Scotland or police vehicles, prompting him to ask who is monitoring the road, particularly on a wet day?
He added: “I phoned 101 expressing concerns to the police that there were no flood signs up. I also phoned BEAR Scotland.” A spokesperson for
BEAR Scotland said: “We note the comments received and would be happy to engage with the complainant directly. The weather over recent months has been particularly challenging with exceptionally heavy rain, high winds and snow.
“The A83 is inspected twice per week during the winter and defects on the road surface, drainage systems and any other trunk road asset are identified and prioritised for repair... offlets are recut annually in line with our contract requirements and more often if blocked. We also work with Transport Scotland to bring forward drainage maintenance and improvement projects in line with available budgets.
“During heavy rain, when there is considered to be potential for landslides, our teams patrol landslide-susceptible areas during daylight hours and deal with flooding problems or mobilise additional resources as required.
“Local emergency teams are on standby 24/7 and deal with a range of issues, from flooding, potholes and fallen trees.”
The spokesperson added that, throughout winter, BEAR Scotland carries out proactive winter service treatments in accordance with the company’s winter service plan to ensure de-icing material is on the roads prior to temperatures falling below freezing. Many of the roads are also patrolled during the night to monitor that these treatments have been and remain effective.
Mr Ross said he was told by the police operator that local officers would be contacted and asked to erect flooding signs in the areas highlighted as being particularly badly affected but, by the following day, none had been put up.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Road safety and road crime are key priorities for Police Scotland as a whole, as well as for the community policing teams in Argyll and Dunbartonshire.
“We cannot stress the importance of our message to all drivers that they must take responsibility for their own actions behind the wheel and be considerate to others.
“Please drive to the road conditions and adhere to any travel warnings so you can reach your destination safely. Anyone with concerns can call Police Scotland on 101 or speak to any police officer.”
Trunk road defects can be reported via www.bearscot.com/ report-a-defect or call Traffic Scotland customer care line on 0800 028 1414.