Another landslip closes A83 again
Fresh calls have been made for a permanent solution to the A83 after another major landslip closed the road again at the weekend.
The section which had to be closed on Sunday had only just re-opened last Monday, September 7, following the 10,000-tonne landslip on August 4.
Fresh calls have been made for a permanent solution to the A83 after more ‘havoc’ from another major landslip at the Rest and Be Thankful.
The vital route connecting Tarbet with Lochgilphead and the A816 to Oban, was closed on Saturday afternoon as a safety precaution in advance of a Met Office yellow alert for heavy rain. And it was discovered on Sunday September 13 that around 5,000 tonnes of mud and boulders had slipped and reached road level.
The same section had only just re-opened last Monday, September 7, under traffic light control following the 10,000-tonne landslip which shut the A83 in several places on August 4.
Donald Cameron, a
Highlands and Islands MSP, said it was causing ‘havoc’. The third landslip this year was affecting residents, businesses and visitors as the area attempts to make the most of the short tourism season, he said. ‘For far too long, the SNP government has adopted a ‘make do’ approach to Argyll and Bute’s transport infrastructure. They absolutely must now deliver the longterm, permanent solution local people are rightly demanding, and soon.’
Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, has written to Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson calling for the ‘quickest possible’ route to building a new road.
Mr Russell said the SNP had committed to a new road and the issue now was how quickly it could be built. He said: ‘The second major slip in six weeks means time is absolutely of the essence in solving the problem. The best solution must also be one that has the potential for having the shortest possible timetable to completion which does rule out some of the more elaborate options.’
Campaigners have started an online petition calling for a ‘bypass tunnel’ which has garnered 2,200 signatures with a flurry of supporters since the weekend. It calls for a 2.4-mile long tunnel ‘costing up to £261 million’ based on the cost of similar projects in Norway.
However, the unstable ‘geology’ across the area means such an idea has its detractors.