We will have a fuller report on this later but we understand that the session in Inveraray on 22nd August was generally felt to be very valuable; and that Scotland Transerv were open and informative.
The reality appears to be that neither Transport Scotland nor Scotland Transerv see the current A83 as the solution to its current vulnerability to landslides.
The reason why galleries are not now considered is that the problem of instability lies as much below the A83 as above it. The road is slowly sliding off the hill. This has been known for some time.
Topography makes re-routing this access road into Argyll all but impossible.
The favoured solution appears to be tosecure the present A83 as best possible and to build a second road on the south side of Glen Croe, using the current two-way A83 as a two-lane carriageway with traffic running in one direction; with traffic on the new two lane road on the other side of the Glen running in the other direction.
The thinking is that, in the case of landslides affecting one of these roads, the other could immediately serve as a two way road of the order of the current A83.
Update: Below is the latest parliamentary question and answer between Jamie McGrigor MSP and Transport Minister Keith Brown MSP, on the subject of the A83 at Rest and Be Thankful.
Question Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party):
‘To ask the Scottish Government , further to the answer to question S4W-08320 by Keith Brown on 19 July 2012, whether the work will be accelerated, in light of the landslide on 1 August 2012.’
Answer Mr Keith Brown MSP (S4W-08997) :
‘It is very important that any solutions, permanent and temporary are properly designed and constructed. We are fully committed to delivering a safe diversion route at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful in as short a timescale as possible. Discussions are ongoing with the landowner and the works are currently programmed to start this month, with a 12-week construction period.
‘I am chairing a taskforce which has been set up to oversee progress. The taskforce, which met for the first time on 15 August, includes representatives from the key agencies involved.’
I keep making a joke comment about the need for a causeway across Loch Long to Ardentinny or Strone to provide safe and constant access to the rest of Argyll.
Building another road on the basis that both roads may be closed by landslides seems hysterical. But ‘my’ road would remain open, regardless of mountains feeling frisky.
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You been smoking strange substances?
The shallowest area in the mouth of Loch Long is shown on charts as 56 metres.
That will be some causeway and of course it will need a huge gap to be bridged to allow supertankers to get up to Finnart and get out again when they are empty.
Dream on!
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why can’t they do a tunnel?
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Maybe because Loch Long is too deep
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No, it’s not too deep for a tunnel – in Norway the tunnel on the coast road south of Kristiansund reaches 250m deep (before they decided it was feasible they’d been investigating the possibility of a tethered immersed tube, but maybe that was a just a bit too ambitious)
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The Norðoyatunnilin in the Faroe Islands goes to 150m below sea level.
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They have come up with quite a neat idea. Both roads will be vulnerable to closure but the chances of both being closed at the same time will probably be remote.
How long will it take them to build the new road though. Of course they should also be looking at the Firth of Clyde ferries as an alternate route
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Thankfully western’ s service is already there and with the new boats will be ready to deal with any closures. Or are you saying that the SNP should spend millions more on a subsidised vehicle service just in case the Rest closes for a few days in 2014.
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I am not 100% clear on what Western will be doing. Are the new vessels in addition to the old or raplacements. If they are replacements what will the capacity increase be?
The government has to do something about the essential town centre crossing. It has to be reliable which means much larger vessels. If they are daft enough to run those passenger only that is up to them. If they carry vehicles those would have to be unsubsidised as was shown to be the case in the past in the published accepted official accounts.
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Has nobody considered the possibility of an entirely new road along the Glen Kinglas – Loch Sloy – Inveruglas route? There are existing tracks along 75% of that route. I’ve no idea if the geology is any more stable than Glencroe , but it would be nice to know it had least been considered.
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