Rest And Be Thankful reopens after boulders threat is cleared
More safety action is needed on a road plagued by landslips over the last year, reports
THE A83 at the Rest And Be Thankful has reopened to daytime traffic after maintenance workers spent days completing stabilisation work high up on the hillside after large boulders were exposed following heavy rain last week.
The road had been closed for five days following fears of the huge boulders falling from a nearby hill – despite new safety measures.
The route through the Rest And Be Thankful has been shut on and off for months since a major landslip brought about by rain blocked the road in August.
That was the latest in a long line of landslips that have plagued the route.
Since Monday, teams from the Transport Scotland-appointed maintenance firm Bear Scotland have been working to prevent the boulders sliding down the hill and on to the road.
The latest closure came only a matter of days after it had been shut for several days due to rain.
It was reopened last Friday, but was then shut on Saturday due to the boulders concern.
Bear says these were stabilised on Monday and Tuesday, with the A83 reopening yesterday morning.
It comes as the road was brought back into action in January as part of a strategy that was to see it used during the day when weather conditions permit.
Before the A83 reopening, Bear said a debris fence had been completed on the hillside above the road to provide further protection to users.
The boulders, located some 765 yards east of the major landslips in August and September last year, were made safe on Monday and Tuesday using equipment that was lifted onto the hillside by helicopters.
The single-track Old Military Road (OMR), which has been used on a convoy basis when the A83 is shut, remained in use for all motorists as a safety precaution while this work was completed.
Yesterday, Bear Scotland confirmed the A83 had been reopened to drivers at 8.20am after a safety assessment.
From today, the road will remain in use but only from 7.15am to 6pm each day, with all traffic outwith these times being diverted via the OMR, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe.
Bear teams are now continuing further mitigation work in the area, including the development of another catch-pit at the bottom of the steep channel formed by landslips last August and September, as well as strengthening the debris fences in the area.
Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland’s northwest representative said: “We’re continuing to operate on a safety-first approach and will have a team on site carrying out daily safety inspections and assessments of the hillside to afford protection to road users and our operatives who continue to undertake works.
“Teams are continuing mitigation work at the Rest And be Thankful, including developing the next debris catch-pit next to the A83 roadside, as well as work to strengthen the debris fences at sections of the route.
“We thank all road users and the local community for their continued patience as we do all we can to continue to address the ongoing situation.”
The route was open for barely three weeks in the five months since a landslip brought about by rain blocked the road in August. Drivers face up to 59-mile diversions when both routes are closed.
On February 21, both the A83 and the OMR had to be shut again after another landslide.
The A83 had already been shut for three days after an overnight downpour increased the risk of substantial amounts of debris sliding onto the road from the adjacent hillside.
It was estimated around 250 tons of debris reached the OMR overnight.
That is despite £1 million being spent on a 175-metre-long, 6.6-metre-high barrier being built next to the OMR to stop debris from a potential landslip.
The Scottish Government transport agency’s route manager Neil Macfarlane recently told local community leaders that 2020 saw 20,000 tons fall onto the A83 at the Rest Aand Be Thankful – double what has fallen in nearly two decades.
And he said Transport Scotland was looking at 12 options to prevent further calamity with “100,000 tons on the move on the hill”.
In September, Transport Scotland published 11 options for a new route to replace the landslip-prone section of the A83, including building up to three bridges or tunnels.
We’re continuing to operate on a safety-first approach