60 mile detour to Oban after Rest and be Thankful stays closed
The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll remains closed for a second day after multiple landslips. A diversion of almost 60 miles has been put in place – despite the fact that the weather today is almost summer-like in the West of Scotland. The calm after the storm.
Bear Scotland said about 2,500 tonnes of landslide debris reached the catch-fences above the carriageway on Tuesday.
Prolonged heavy rain throughout the day prevented maintenance workers accessing the slope near the Old Military Road and the A83 carriageway.
Traffic Scotland tweeted on Wednesday morning that the road would remain closed in both directions “until further notice”.
A full safety inspection to evaluate the area’s stability is currently taking place before any clear-up operations can get under way.
Tommy Deans, Bear Scotland’s north west network manager said: “Teams have been working hard in very challenging conditions to try and assess the extent of the landslips affecting the Rest and Be Thankful.
“However, heavy rain is making it difficult for teams to assess the likelihood of any further occurrences elsewhere on the slope, with approximately 75mm of rain recorded at the Rest and Be Thankful (on Tuesday) alone.
“The specialist debris fencing has prevented the vast majority of material from reaching the roadside, however some debris has spilled onto the carriageway below with some reaching the Old Military Road.
“Safety continues to be our top priority and until we are completely satisfied that no further material will come down the hillside, the A83 and Old Military Road will remain closed.
“In the meantime, we encourage people to follow the diversion route via Dalmally or use alternative forms of travel.”T