Oban road works nearly complete
ROAD works in Oban town centre are still not finished five weeks after the scheduled completion date.
The works have now been going on for 31 weeks when they were originally forecast to be a 26-week project. Visitors to the area have written to The Oban Times to complain the works are not yet finished.
Argyll and Bute Council has come in for some criticism from the political leader in Nairn, Michael Green, who said the plans for the works to be taking place in the height of the season are ‘ridiculous’.
But Argyll and Bute Council defended the situation saying the extra works being undertaken by the contractors makes the extended time worthwhile.
Two weeks ago a council spokeswoman told The Oban Times: ‘ You will note from our previous press release that we took the opportunity to add a few things into the scheme, hence the extended completion date.
‘The contractor has, and is focusing on, making as much space as possible available to public access while they continue to work in the background to complete all the finishing items.
‘As per the press release issued on June 24, some of the big additions to the scheme include: three extra bus shelters at Station Square; enhanced street lighting; additional seating along the low wall next to the Whisky Shop on Stafford Street as well as paving over the planting area on the upper terrace, which was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain; widening and extending the dropped kerbs to disabled parking bays; extending the paving into Argyll Street; additional strengthening work to the lighting columns along the sea wall; real time information (RTI) display boards in all five bus shelters at Station Square; foundation and infrastructure for a large RTI board to be located at Station Square which will provide real time information for train, ferry and bus services.’
While the original press release from the local authority stated there was no additional cost to the taxpayer for these works, the spokeswoman now said: ‘ With regard to costs for additional works, these will be fairly assessed in accordance with the contract process.’