Storm warning closes Rest and be Thankful

Weather warnings for thunderstorms and heavy rain forced the Rest and be Thankful to close this week, with traffic diverted to the Old Military Road.

The diversion was set up along the A83’s parallel route through Glen Croe from 8pm on Tuesday after the Met Office issued amber warnings for thunderstorms and rain across most of mainland Scotland until 6am on Thursday morning.

Construction work continues on strengthening the landslide mitigation measures in the area, including development of further debris catch-pits and improvements to hillside drainage.

BEAR Scotland’s North West representative Eddie Ross said on Tuesday: ‘We’ve been assessing the weather forecast over the next few days and have taken the decision along with Transport Scotland to direct all traffic to use the Old Military Road as a safety precaution.

‘The forecast has indicated heavy rain throughout the night. It is difficult to monitor the impact of this on the hillside during the hours of darkness, with further heavy rain expected through the morning.

‘We’re continuing to put road user safety first and will therefore reinstate the Old Military Road from 8pm as a precaution. He said the area would be assessed the following day to see if it was safe to re-open.

‘Teams are continuing to pay close attention to weather conditions in the area and are monitoring the hillside for any changes. As ever, we thank all road users for their patience in advance while we continue with our work.’