THE iconic A83 at Rest and be Thankful is to shut to motorists for the sixth day in a row as a safety precaution due to rain.
The landslip-plagued key Scots route reopened under traffic light control at 8.30am (Friday).
But maintenance firm BEAR Scotland say that it will shut again just over nine hours later at 6pm due to further heavy rain forecast throughout the weekend.
The firm said daily assessments are to be carried out and the route was to remain under close observation due to further heavy rain forecast throughout weekend.
The important Highlands route has been open for barely three weeks since August 4 when a landslip brought about by rain blocked the A83.
And there has not been a day since Sunday that the road has not been shut for at least part of the day, due to rain.
The route was closed at 6pm on Thursday due to the forecast for rainfall overnight, with all traffic switched to the single-track Old Military Road local diversion route which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe. The A83 reopened following a geotechnical assessment and safety inspection of the hillside at first light on Friday morning.
Further rainfall is expected across Argyll throughout Friday night and early Saturday morning, and BEAR Scotland said the decision has been made to switch all road users to the Old Military Road from 6pm this evening as a "safety precaution" following several days of wet weather in the area.
#A83 #RestAndBeThankful: A83 is now *OPEN* following a safety assessment this morning, however will close again from 6pm this evening as a precaution due to further rain forecast tonight. All traffic will be diverted via OMR overnight from 6pm. More here: https://t.co/uugWZeDPtA pic.twitter.com/AxFQEpPfBi
— BEAR NW Trunk Roads (@NWTrunkRoads) October 23, 2020
Over the weekend, monitoring and assessment activities will continue to inform decisions over the operation of the A83, with the local diversion to the Old Military Road being implemented when necessary.
Engineers are continuing with mitigation work in the area including the installation of a debris pit, debris catch-fence and stabilisation work in the steep channel above the slope.
Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative said; “The A83 reopened under traffic light control at around 8.30am this morning following a thorough safety assessment by our geotechnical team.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the weather conditions and forecast at the Rest, and with more rain expected to impact the area overnight we’ve taken the decision to close the A83 again at 6pm this evening as a safety precaution during the hours of darkness.
“We have to put road user’s safety first, and with more rain expected after a consistent period of wet weather this week we believe closure of the A83, as a safety precaution, during the hours of darkness to be the right approach due to limitations in being able to identify sudden changes in conditions on the hillside at night.
“Geotechnical specialists remain on site and are carefully monitoring the A83 and surrounding hillside and assessing the area.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep disruption to road users on the A83 to a minimum, and as ever we thank road users and the local community for their patience while we continue with this work at the Rest.”
Ministers have previously been accused of wasting nearly £80 million on more than a decade of failed solutions to landslides on the road after the latest multiple slips in heavy rainfall.
#A83 #RestandBeThankful: Old Military Road now in use as local diversion route for all road users. A83 closed as safety precaution due to further forecast heavy rain overnight. Inspection to take place at first light tmrw to consider reopening. More here: https://t.co/uugWZeDPtA pic.twitter.com/Hl0CAzn1cL
— BEAR NW Trunk Roads (@NWTrunkRoads) October 22, 2020
Some locals have called for a public inquiry into the problems, with many saying a permanent solution must be found.
Transport Scotland published details of the 11 "corridor options" for a new route to replace the landslip-prone section of the A83 include building up to three bridges or tunnels.
But the choice of solution is not expected till next year.
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