THE A83 Rest and Be Thankful will reopen today after almost five weeks of closure.
The road, which runs from Loch Lomond to the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula, has been closed since heavy downpours caused a landslip of almost 6000 tonnes of debris on August 4.
The debris blocked both the A83 and the fastest alternative route, the Old Military Road (OMR), forcing drivers to follow a 60-mile diversion.
The OMR opened four days later, on August 8, after a helicopter working with a team of 42 removed almost 2000 tonnes of debris from the road.
READ MORE: Scottish Government under pressure to find Rest and Be Thankful alternative
Now, the A83 will also reopen, following more than a month of “round the clock” work, according to Eddie Ross, from BEAR Scotland, which is responsible for managing and maintaining some of the country's most important roads.
#A83 #RestAndBeThankful: Old Military Road remains *OPEN* as local diversion route for road users. Final preparations taking place on site to reopen the A83 under traffic light control later today. pic.twitter.com/ZZ8Ehj3tph
— BEAR NW Trunk Roads (@NWTrunkRoads) September 7, 2020
Ross added: “Teams will continue work on the A83 once the road reopens with further mitigation measures being installed at the bottom of the steep channel next to the roadside to create further protection for the A83.
“Work has also begun at the next permanent catch-pit further along the A83. Together these measures will help contribute to additional resilience on the A83.”
READ MORE: Rest and be Thankful: 'They wouldn't let this happen to the M8'
Scotland Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson, said he understood locals’ “frustration” with the A83’s frequent closures, adding: “I realise people are looking for a long-term solution to dealing with landslips.
“I have instructed officials at Transport Scotland to accelerate our work to consider infrastructure options for the A83.”
Rest and Be Thankful is the highest point on the A83, separating Glen Kinglas from Glen Croe, and has an extremely high risk of landslips, which has been made worse in recent years by heavy rainfall.
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