Extra protection for Old Military Road
Work has begun on a new temporary barrier along a section of the Old Military Road (OMR) and is expected to be complete by Christmas, increasing protection on the local diversion to the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
A 175 metre long, 6 metre high barrier will be positioned next to the OMR at the foot of the vulnerable channel formed by landslips in August and September. Once in place it will enable further use of the diversion during adverse weather.
Work will also begin this month, in partnership with Forestry and Land Scotland, to build deer fences to protect a range of trees due to be planted next autumn to help maximise stability of the hillside.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said:
“I’m delighted that our contractors have begun construction of a new 175 metre debris barrier above the Old Military Road, and that the work will be complete before Christmas, weather permitting. This will provide greater resilience to the local diversion, helping to ensure continuity of access to the region. I look forward to visiting the site as soon as is appropriate to see this work for myself.
“I would like to thank the local stakeholders and businesses who I met this week to discuss our continuing work to deliver landslide mitigation measures. Their support and partnership working will be key to identifying a long-term solution.”
Background
A design team is also continuing to assess the viability of the forestry track as an alternative route through Glen Croe, with further information expected to be available next week.
The Old Military Road remains in use as a local diversion route for road users through Glen Croe with teams closely reviewing the weather forecast and conditions on the hillside on a daily basis.
Design work is underway to identify an alternative to the current route and find a long-term solution to the challenges created by the Rest and Be Thankful section of the A83. We are working to identify a preferred route corridor by Spring 2021.