A further £3.5m have been plugged into installing more landslip protection measures at one of Scotland’s most notorious roads.
The latest stage of improving the landslip resilience of the A83 Rest and Be Thankful road has already started and is expected to be completed in nine months.
It follows the construction of another £1.1m catch-pit adjacent to the A83, which was completed last month.
Now, Transport Scotland has confirmed a further £3.5m have been put aside for a new catch-pit to be installed next to the trunk road.
The sixth cat-pitch will be formed by reinforced concrete and will be located at the foot of the steep sided channel formed by the major landslides in August and September last year.
Once completed, it will provide an additional 1,600 tonnes of debris storage capacity – bringing the total volume protection of the catch-pits to around 21,600 tonnes.
Eddie Ross, north-west representative of Bear Scotland, which has been appointed by the Scottish Government to carry out the work, said the latest measures will be installed at a “crucial area” of the landslip-prone road.
He said: “Teams recently completed the fifth phase of work so we’re pleased that we can progress with this next phase at a crucial area, which is located at the foot of the steep channel formed by the major landslides that impacted the hillside in August and September last year.
“Since the landslides occurred, we have introduced measures aimed at making travel through Glen Croe more resilient, including the provision of debris fences, improvements to surface water management and the construction of a significant temporary bund on the Old Military Road.
“Most recently, we have resurfaced the Old Military Road to significantly improve the condition of the local diversion route when its use becomes necessary.”
“Construction of the new catch-pit is a complex operation given the nature of the area within which it is to be built, and we will have geotechnical specialists on site daily to monitor the works as they progress over the coming months.”
More than £15m spent on landslide mitigation
The A83 Tarbet to Campbelltown route is considered as one of Scotland’s most notorious roads with heavy rain often being the cause for “significant” landslides at the Rest and Be Thankful.
Various catch pits and fencing, as well as an emergency diversion route via the Old Military Road, have been built since the first of many landslides occurred at the site 13 years ago.
More recently, thousands of tonnes of debris crumbled onto the road on August 4 last year, with work immediately beginning to clear the carriage and make the area safe.
However, just a month later in September, more than 1,000 tonnes of material had come down the hillside at the same location as the landslip the previous month.
Road operator Bear Scotland is also often forced to close the dangerous section of the A83 as a precaution to keep motorists safe when heavy rain is expected to hit the region.
#A83#RestandbeThankful : due to the on going nature of the landslide and continued rain we are unable to conclude safety assessments. The A83 and OMR will remain closed overnight. Diversion via A82,A85,A819. pic.twitter.com/G1ojuFX77F
— BEAR NW Trunk Roads (@NWTrunkRoads) September 13, 2020
Transport Scotland confirmed that as part of the £87m invested in the maintenance of the A83 since 2007, more than £15m have already been invested in landslide mitigation works at the Rest and be Thankful.
Permanent long-term solution for A83 Rest and Be Thankful?
Transport minister Graeme Dey added that improving the resilience of the A83 Rest and Be Thankful road remains one of the Scottish Government’s top priorities.
He said: “As well as bringing in short and medium term measures to increase resilience, we continue to progress work on a permanent long term solution to the issue.
“We appreciate that the timescale to develop an alternative route is frustrating for the local community, but we will look to bring forward the programme where we can.
“The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring continuity of access to the Argyll and Bute Region.”
To keep all road users and roadworkers safe, temporary traffic lights will be in place on the A83 throughout the construction period.
Motorists have been advised to plan their journeys in advance by checking Traffic Scotland’s website for up-to-date travel information.
