The Scottish Government is being urged to adopt “dangerous” west Highland roads – including a stretch of the North Coast 500 driving route.
For years the A890 and the A832, which runs from Auchtertyre in the west to Gorstan in the east, has been plagued with road closures caused by landslips and rockfall.
Calls for a bypass at Stromeferry on the A890 have stalled as well.
The North Coast 500 is a hugely popular 500-mile route around the Highlands, starting and ending in Inverness,
Sections of the A890 and A832 are included on the route, as is part of the A9 trunk road.
In recent years traffic on NC500 roads has boomed as tourists have been encouraged to make a holiday out of the road trip.
Now locals say the government should step in and officially adopt the A890 and the A832 between Achnasheen and Gorstan as trunk roads.
They hope such a move would pave the way for major new investment in the route to bring it back up to standard.
‘It could be a danger to life’
Derek Noble, 69, a retired teacher from Kyle, has submitted two petitions to the Scottish Parliament calling for both roads to be adopted by the government and trunked.
He said he has road safety concerns due to the “crumbling” cliff the A890 is on, and because the road goes from dual track to single track between Attadale and Ardnarff.
Mr Noble said: “Something needs to be done because it is dangerous, it can’t go on like this.
“If there is a landslip or rockfall, it could be a danger to life.
“Depending on the weather it can become impassable for days.
“It is a disaster waiting to happen and it seems although Highland Council own the road, they can’t afford to do anything to upgrade it.”
Alternatives to Stromeferry bypass
The roads include part of the NC500 and nearby routes.
A major issue is the Stromeferry bypass on the A890.
Highland Council has previously looked into alternatives to this bypass and has said its preferred option would be to create a new bypass through Glen Udalaine.
Mr Noble said this is another reason for the Scottish Government to step in, as it would cost too much for the local authority to make these upgrades on its own.
He would also like to see the authorities consider building a bridge between North and South Strome, or widening the road building out into the sea.
However Mr Noble said he realises these solutions would cost a lot of money, and said he is dubious the government would be willing to spend this much on the west coast of the Highlands.
He said: “The west coast has all the problems but because there are not many voters here all the money goes to the east coast – and if the money doesn’t go there, it goes to the central belt.”
Children affected by road closures
It is not just tourists enjoying the NC500 who would benefit from upgrades to the A890 and A832.
Mr Noble previously worked as a physics teacher in Plockton and said he knows first-hand how disruptive road closures on this route can be to school children.
He said: “If the road is blocked then kids going to school can face a detour of about 150 miles around Inverness.
“Their day starts early in the morning and they are home late at night which makes them tired in school and unable to do their homework.
“It is not good for their education and it is probably not good for their health either, all because the road is not up to scratch.”
Petitions to go before parliament
Mr Noble’s two petitions will now be considered by Holyrood’s public petitions and citizen participation committee.
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: “We will respond to the petitions committee in due course.
“However, the A890 is a local road and responsibility for a decision to upgrade or improve the route ultimately lies with Highland Council.”
A spokesman for Highland Council added: “The A890 Stromeferry bypass is under constant surveillance.
“The route has a maintenance plan which includes daily, weekly and monthly inspections by local roads staff and annual inspections by a geotechnical specialist consultant who identifies and quantifies the risk factors and informs our maintenance work on the slope.”