Major repairs set for the A82

MAJOR repairs are set to take place on the A82 along Loch Lomond costing £885,000 and BEAR Scotland is asking the public when it should happen.

A public drop-in session will take place in Crianlarich Village Hall on October 23 between 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

The repairs include a section of crash barriers which were heavily damaged earlier this year when an HGV went through the barrier, before ending up on the loch edge.

Temporary traffic lights have been in place since May for safety reasons, as the accident resulted in an exposed section.

In an effort to make the most of the required closure, BEAR Scotland is proposing to carry out a number of additional repairs. This would see around 40 workers operating on the road.

The repairs would include up to four kilometres of resurfacing, and major drainage works being carried out between Tarbet and Inveruglas, stretching over 3.5 kilometres, to address issues of flooding on the route.

It would also see the installation of 1,300 new safety barrier reflectors and verge marker posts to increase visibility and safety at bends.

And it would involve road sign replacement and repairs, landscaping cut-back works, 26 kilometres of road markings, as well as other minor repairs on the road.

The proposed time to carry out the work is on Monday November 6 until Tuesday November 21 from 8am to 7pm – with work during the day only.

Emergency services, public buses and local access would be maintained throughout the closure points, with all other traffic diverted via the A83, A819, A85 and A82 during working hours.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s north-west representative, said: ‘We welcome all feedback on these proposals to carry out the repairs to the barrier near Loch Lomond Holiday Park which would finally see the temporary traffic lights lifted from the A82 at the same time as a further £885,000 investment in the route to help ensure it continues to function safely for road users.

‘We only ever close roads when it is essential. In this case the barrier that needs to be replaced is so close to the loch and is in such a restricted space that it is unsafe for our teams to work there with heavy machinery at night. This means daytime working is the only option.

‘We’ve taken steps to avoid working over the summer and October holidays, when traffic flows are generally busier.

‘The dates proposed will mean the temporary traffic lights are removed and the works to be completed before the winter weather really sets in.

‘We’re also putting forward the opportunity to take full advantage of any daytime road closures by using multiple teams of more than 40 road workers to carry out as many schemes as we can in one go.

‘This would result in better value overall for the public, as well as increased safety for our road maintenance crews.’

Those who cannot make the public consultation can still have their say by emailing A82SouthConsultation@bearscotland.co.uk.

To view the plans visit wwww. bearscot.com.