MINISTERS are planning the construction of a mile-long 'landslip shelter' costing £470m to resolve the issues with landslips on Scotland's most notorious road.
The construction of the debris flow shelter is the preferred option for the long-term solution announced to address the challenges at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
The selection of the preferred option follows design and assessment work on five options through the Glen Croe valley.
It has rejected a more expensive option to build a tunnel with a new 2.5-mile road, with 1.8 miles of tunnel under the Croe Water.
Preliminary estimates had shown that the options under consideration could have cost between £268m and £860m at current prices.
Campaigners had wanted the long-term solution completed by May 2024.
Flashback to previous landslip
Transport Scotland would not discuss timescales but it is understood that a permanent solution would take between seven to ten years to complete after being approved.
The Herald was told by number of people attending early stakeholders meetings that officials confirmed did not expect to start on the new route until nearer 2025. Tunnel options were expected to take two years longer than the others that were being considered.
The issue with landslides at the spot was highlighted in the Scottish Road Network Landslides Study part authored by then Scottish Executive - 18 years ago.
The A83 is an almost 100-mile trunk road connecting the Mull of Kintyre and southern Argyll to the shores of Loch Lomond.
About 1.3 million vehicles travel the route every year and it acts as an important transport link for mainland Argyll as well as the Inner Hebrides.
The key transport artery in Argyll had been barely open for three weeks in six months after a landslip brought about by rain blocked the road in early August, 2020, and has been shut down periodically ever since. In 2020 it had to be shut for over 200 days.
Campaigners have long called for a full public inquiry to determine why the road which is vulnerable to landslides is still not fixed.
Rest and Be Thankful campaign chairman and local resident, John Gurr said: "It is good news that Transport Scotland has decided on a permanent solution to the road closures which have been caused by landslides at the Rest for decades.
"The last landslide has closed the Rest to two-way traffic for nearly three years. As the main trunk road into Argyll, we would like to understand more detail about how Transport Scotland propose to keep a two-way road open while they undertake the construction and more detail on the timescales."
The proposed debris flow shelter follows the alignment of the existing A83 from the Croe Water to the Rest and Be Thankful car park and involves constructing a debris flow shelter over a length of just under a mile with an additional 200 yards of catch pit and a protection wall to protect users from future debris flow events.
Previous catchpits spent on the road have failed to prevent landslips from hitting the road.
Debris flow shelters are like a tunnel with one open side and what Transport Scotland said was a "recognised means of protecting transport infrastructure and its users from falling rock and debris in areas susceptible to debris flows or landslides". Ministers say they have been successfully used across Europe and beyond for many years.
An online exhibition is going live today which will allow the public can view and comment on the preferred route option.
Public exhibitions will be held for four days from June 12 in Arrochar and then Lochgilphead where the Transport Scotland project team and technical advisors will be available to answer questions on the proposals for the route.
Minister for Transport Kevin Stewart MSP said: “The Scottish Government has been working tirelessly to find a long-term solution to the landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
“The identification of the preferred route option through the Glen Croe valley is a very important milestone in finding a solution to this long-standing problem. The proposed new debris flow shelter will help protect the road and road users from future landslides.
“We want to hear from the public on our proposals and both the online exhibition and public exhibitions in two weeks are your opportunity to tell us what you think.
“Work will now be taken forward at pace to further develop our proposals, including the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option along with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment, draft Road Orders and draft Compulsory Purchase Orders."
The A83 at the Rest has been operating under a traffic lights system after further landslips.
There has been criticism over millions "wasted" over what is considered to be failed temporary fixes.
Mr Stewart said it was still looking to increase the resilience of the temporary diversion route along the existing Old Military Road, having identified the preferred route solution for it late last year.
He said the first phase of implementing the medium-term solution will begin later this year with realignment of the southern end of the route.
He said this will increase resilience of the temporary diversion route by reducing the likelihood of closures due to flooding, meaning "more certainty" for locals and road users if the A83 has to shut due to adverse weather conditions.
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