Roadworks put on hold indefinitely
A £170,000 road improvement project due to start on the A82 on Sunday night has been put on ice as a result of the landslip on the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
Highways crews were ready to start work this weekend on resurfacing 1.2m (2km) of road between Tarbet and Ardlui along the banks of Loch Lomond.
A £170,000 road improvement project due to start on the A82 on Sunday night has been put on ice as a result of the landslip on the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
Highways crews were ready to start work this weekend (September 20) on resurfacing 1.2m (2km) of road between Tarbet and Ardlui along the banks of Loch Lomond.
The project, due to last until October 2, required the overnight closure of the entire 16-mile stretch between Tarbet and Crianlarich to make it safe for road teams, with diversions put in place.
However, the work has now been postponed indefinitely because motorists would have use the A83 to avoid the works on the A82.
The A83 route was closed last Saturday following a yellow warning for heavy rain – with a 5,000-tonne landslip at the Rest and Be Thankful discovered the following day.
The closure came less than a week after the A83 had reopened after six weeks of works following a previous landslip at the start of August, with the measures installed reportedly performing well and escaping relatively undamaged, according to BEAR Scotland.
A statement from BEAR Scotland said the surfacing improvements planned for two locations on the A82 near Loch Lomond had been postponed until ‘further notice’.
‘The A83 main carriageway at the Rest and Be Thankful remains closed, however, the Old Military Road (OMR) local diversion is currently in operation.
‘As a safety precaution it might become necessary at points to close the OMR which will impact the standard diversion route which includes the two locations due to be resurfaced.
‘The project was scheduled to get under way from Sunday September 20 for 10 nights under a full road closure, however, the A82 will now remain fully open overnight to ensure motorists continue to use the A82 as a diversion route via the A85 and A819 to Inveraray if the OMR local diversion closes.
‘All relevant stakeholders have been made aware of the changes and will be updated once new dates are confirmed.’
Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara has said the A83 problem is an ‘economic and public safety emergency’ while Donald Cameron MSP has said a ‘long-term permanent solution’ is needed soon.