COVID-19 quarry closure delays A83 reopening

An interruption to quarry material supplies has held up plans to remove traffic lights at a section of the A83 trunk road hit by a landslide earlier this year.

Since the landslide on January 30, which came through forested land near the Rest and Be Thankful at Ardgartan, repair work has been led by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS).

FLS planning manager John Hair said last week that ‘good headway’ was being made with work to build a ‘catch pit’ above the carriageway, with an earth barrier between the pit and the road.

Both carriageways were expected to reopen, with the removal of traffic lights, on April 26.

FLS has since advised that reopening will be held up for a week due to a delay in delivery of quarry materials as a supplier has shut down in compliance with COVID-19 restrictions.

Mr Hair explained: ‘The last thing we need to do at the bottom of the slope is build the barrier between the pit and the road, which will help stop any debris that might come down the hill in the event of any future extreme weather events and confine it to the catch pit.

‘Unfortunately, the company that was to supply the rock has closed due to the current health crisis, so we’re going to get this stone from one of our own quarries.

‘This means we’ll have to rejig our essential work programmes and will lead to a short delay. We’re now working to a new opening date of Monday May 4.’

Work to repair and reinforce the forestry road on the hillside above, which will not have an impact on the A83, is expected to be completed by the end of June.