Annex A - BEAR Scotland slides

Slide 1

  • A83 Taskforce
  • Meeting Number 27
  • Microsoft Teams
  • 19 September 2024
  • Eddie Ross
  • NW Scheme Manager

Slide 2 - Presentation Overview

  • Ongoing hillside monitoring regime
  • A83 Rest and Be Thankful Landslide Event 15 September
  • A83 Rest and Be Thankful – Debris Fence
  • Communications
  • Forestry and Land Scotland tree planting works
  • Old Military Road
  • A83 Aray Bridge
  • Wider A83 / A82 works programme

Slide 3 - Hillside Monitoring Regime

Daily management of the route is continuing behind the scenes, to ensure it is safe for road users.

Daily:

  • Remote weather station monitoring
  • Expert wether forecasting
  • Ground saturation estimates
  • Remote timelapse photography
  • Daily decision-making on use of A83 or OMR
  • Additional site monitoring resources

2 weekly (depending on weather, more frequently):

  • Site team observations on hillside condition and watercourse flows
  • Hillside movement surveys and observations.

Slide 4 - A83 Rest and be Thankful Landslide - 15 September 2024

  • Over-saturation of an area of hillside triggered a 500 Tonne landslide.
  • Intercepted by debris fences and catchpits.
  • A83 immediately closed as a safety precaution. Prompt mobilisation of the Old Military Road minimised the use of the long diversion route and ensured that Argyll and Bute remains open for business.

Slide 5 - A83 Rest and Be Thankful Landslide - 15 September 2024

  • Immediate clean-up operations completed, regaining capacity in the debris pit.
  • Traffic returned to A83 on Tuesday 17th September under convoy.

Slide 6 - A83 Rest and Be Thankful Landslide - 18 September 2024

  • Continued movement and natural process, cleaning out of debris in the channel, continued after the event and was contained in the fences and pits.
  • During the evening of 18 September the landslide source area extended bringing large boulders into the channel with concern of their potential to impact the A83.
  • In darkness, traffic diverted onto the long diversion until the OMR was mobilised at daybreak with the safe removal of livestock.
  • The continued saturation of the landslip source area in dry weather is being investigated to consider a solution.
  • Traffic will remain on the OMR through into next week when heavy rain is forecast and reviewed thereafter.

Slide 7 - A83 Rest and Be Thankful - 3A/B Debris Fence

  • Prep work underway for new debris fence above 3A / 3B Channel
  • Drilling probe holes completed
  • New access steps installed on slope
  • Works will now be combined with long term solution ground investigation

Slide 8 - Communications

Use of OMR

  • Emphasis moved to OPEN via OMR in releases and interviews
  • Picked up by BBC,STV and local press

Landslide on 15 September

  • Good use of images

Slide 9 - Old Military Road (Medium Term Solution)

  • New link road commissioned and utilised
  • Addresses previous flooding issues
  • Adds resilience to the Old Military Road

Slide 10 - Forestry and Land Scotland – Tree planting works

  • Phases 1 & 2 complete
  • Phase 3 is ongoing
  • Phase 4 to commence in 2025

Slide 11 - A83 Aray Bridge

  • Works began on 6 September for approximately six weeks
  • Works involve masonry repairs to the bridge parapet following damage caused by a vehicle collision, as well as final reinstatement of the stone pitching on the riverbed following storm damage on Oct 2023.

Slide 12 - Wider A83 / A82 (South) Programme

  • Total A83 investment since May Taskforce ~ £2.68M
    • £3M of further A83 investment planned for 2024/25 FY
  • Total A82 (Tyndrum to Balloch) investment since January Taskforce ~ £270k
    • £1.3M of further A82 investment planned for 2024/25 FY

Slide 13

  • Thank You and Any Questions