Solution promise for A83 trunk road

For the first time, a senior Scottish politician has given a commitment that a ‘permanent solution’ will be found to a landslide-prone section of the lifeline A83 trunk road.

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, gave the assurance at the latest meeting of the A83 Task Force – a group comprised of road engineers, business managers, councillors, civil servants and others – held at the Loch Fyne Hotel in Inveraray.

Describing the meeting on November 15 as ‘very positive’, Mr Matheson added: ‘I recognise the A83 is absolutely critical to Argyll and Bute, particularly to locals and the local economy.’

Argyll and Bute is to be prioritised within the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), which will set out Transport Scotland’s investment priorities for the future.

Any permanent engineering solution, though, may take years to complete.

Mr Matheson continued: ‘What I have asked Transport Scotland to do is to make sure we carry out early work here in Argyll and Bute in order to identify a permanent solution to the challenges we have with the A83.

‘That work will start early in the new year to make sure we’re starting to identify what that option should be.’

In the meantime, people using the Rest and Be Thankful will rely on ‘mitigation’ measures above the A83.

Mr Matheson said: ‘The A83 has already had a lot of work carried out to it to put mitigation measures in place.

‘There are catch pits in place at the moment and there are more of those to put in over the months ahead alongside the netting which has been put in to capture debris.

‘So far, the mitigation measures have had a significant impact as it has been possible to keep the road open for extended periods of time whereas in the past, prior to this being carried out, the road would have been closed.’

He continued: ‘But even with that we need to identify what the permanent solution is, so the process of looking at that through the STPR process for Argyll and Bute is now going to be accelerated.’