Monday 9 November – 6.10pm

A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL REPAIRS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS

Work to repair debris fences and install further mitigation measures above the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful is set to continue this week, with further good progress being made over the weekend.

Over the past three months since the first major landslip on 4 August, geotechnical specialists estimate that around 20,000 tonnes of material is thought to have moved across the hillside as a result of wet weather.  While the majority of this material moved during the two major landslips on 4 August and 13 September, small amounts of material has been gradually reaching the debris catch-pits during periods of heavy rain, with two further large landslips during Storm Aiden bringing a further 3,600 tonnes of debris to the landslip mitigation fences.

What mitigation work has been completed so far?

Teams continue to work 24/7 to address the ongoing repair and mitigation measures working on four different fronts: –

1. A double debris barrier impacted by a landslide on Saturday 31 October.

Progress – The barrier has now been emptied and 2,400 Tonnes of material removed.

1. A single debris barrier impacted by a second landslide on Saturday 31 October.

Progress – The barrier has now been emptied and 1,200 Tonnes of material removed.

1. A new debris barrier at the location of the landslides in August and September, along with embankment strengthening below the A83.

Progress – The anchors have been drilled into bedrock for the new fence which will give it the strength needed to withstand future impacts.

1. Construction of a new debris pit and debris fence in an adjacent area, which is work originally planned to be undertaken at this time to give extra resilience to the A83.

Progress – Excavation of the pit has commenced, and an access ramp constructed to gain access to the back face of the excavation.

What work is planned for the week ahead?

1. The lower of the double debris fences will be repaired, sections replaced as necessary, to allow it to be re-erected
2. The single debris fences will be repaired, sections replaced as necessary, to allow it to be re-erected
3. The new debris fence concrete foundation will be constructed.
4. Work will continue to form the new debris catch pit.

What is the plan for road users on the A83?

• All traffic will continue to be diverted via the Old Military Road local diversion route through Glen Croe 24 hours a day, weather permitting.  The OMR is a single-track road which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, with traffic convoyed through for safety when the A83 is closed at the Rest.
• Teams are carefully monitoring weather conditions and operation of the OMR will be kept under close review.
• Once the repairs to the fences impacted by Storm Aiden are completed teams will look to reopen the A83 under traffic light control during the daytime.  This work is expected to be completed by mid-November, with teams targeting Monday 16 November for daytime reopening of the route, weather depending.  The Old Military Road will then continue to be used overnight until the new debris barrier is constructed, expected to be completed by the end of November.

A weather front bringing heavy rain and high winds is expected to reach the Rest and Be Thankful from Wednesday this week, and teams will continue to monitor the weather and conditions in the area.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Engineers are continuing on to work on four fronts to deliver a programme of landslip resilience work across the hillside at the A83.

“We’ve had a period of dry weather following Storm Aiden which is allowing us to make good progress with repairs and press on with installation of a new debris barrier which once complete will provide a greater level of protection for the A83.

“As ever we’re leading with a safety-first approach and with another weather front moving in this week we’ll be keeping a close eye on weather conditions in the area, with operation of the OMR kept under careful review.

“We thank all road users for their patience while we do everything we can to address the ongoing issues at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Friday 6 November – 2.45pm

TEAMS CONTINUE TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS WITH REPAIRS TO DEBRIS FENCES IMPACTED BY TWO LANDSLIDES LAST WEEKEND

• Engineers working 24/7 to continue with programme of repairs

• Over 3,600 tonnes of material caught in the debris fences

• Old Military Road local diversion route remains in operation 24/7

Clear up operations and complex repairs are progressing well at the A83 Rest and be Thankful. Teams are working around the clock to complete the programme of work after two landslips impacted debris fences on Saturday 31 October.

The repairs involve reinstating the debris fences which prevented over 3,600 tonnes of material reaching the main A83 carriageway during heavy rain caused by Storm Aiden last weekend.

So far, teams have made good progress with the removal of material from the fences and will begin restoring them to their full capacity once all material is removed. This phase of work is expected to be completed by mid-November and once complete, one lane of the A83 will reopen under traffic light control during the daytime and revert to the OMR overnight.

Teams also continue to progress with the debris fence above the steep channel formed by landslips in August and September. This mitigation measure will provide additional protection for the A83 and allow it to remain open overnight with work expected to be completed by the end of November.

The Old Military Road local diversion route at the Rest and Be Thankful remains in use for road users 24 hours a day. Teams continue to closely review conditions of the hillside and monitor weather forecasts to ensure it is safe to operate.

All of this work is over and above the construction of a debris pit on a further hillside channel which is part of the wider medium term programme to strengthen the resilience of the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Teams are working on four different fronts at the moment at the Rest to deal with the most recent landslides and to increase the resilience of the A83.

“We are progressing well with recovery work following the landslides last weekend which resulted in 3,600 tonnes of material caught in three of the debris fences.  One of the fences sustained some damage from a 20-tonne boulder although was successful in retaining it as well as 1,200 tonnes of material. We are now working to clear the debris and boulders from the three fences and will then complete repairs before reinstating them to give future protection to the A83. These works are on course to be completed by mid-November and will see one lane of the A83 open throughout the daytime.

“Work also continues with additional mitigation measures in the steep channel formed above the route following major landslips in August and September.  Teams are on track to complete this stage of mitigation work by the end of November, which will provide additional protection for the A83 and allow it to resume operation overnight.

“The Old Military Road continues to be used as a local diversion 24/7. We continue to closely monitor weather conditions to ensure it is safe for use.

“The medium term programme of works to improve resilience is also continuing as originally planned with the construction of a further debris pit progressing well. This phase of work will be completed early in the new year.

“As ever, we thank the local community and road users for their continued patience while we do everything we can to address the ongoing situation at the Rest. There is a huge amount of complex work being completed, much of it unseen by the traveling public but when completed will be another step in our efforts to improve the resilience of the A83 for local people, local business and visitors”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 4 November – 3.30pm

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE TO REMAIN IN USE 24 HOURS A DAY UNTIL DEBRIS FENCES REPAIRED MID-NOVEMBER

• OMR to remain in use 24/7 until repairs to debris fences impacted by landslips during Storm Aiden are completed

• A83 expected to reopen during daytime under traffic light control from mid-November once fence repairs complete

• OMR to remain under close review subject to weather conditions

The Old Military Road local diversion route at the Rest and Be Thankful is to remain in use for road users 24 hours a day while engineers complete repairs to debris fences impacted by Storm Aiden.

The fences prevented two significant landslips from reaching the A83 following heavy rain brought in by during Storm Aiden, however they now require a series of repairs to reinstate the impacted debris fences, clear them of material and restore them to their full capacity to ensure the A83 remains protected. Until this work is complete the A83 needs to remain closed as a safety precaution while these mitigation measures are restored.

This work is expected to be completed by mid-November, after which one lane of the A83 will reopen under traffic light control during the daytime and revert to the OMR overnight.

The next stage of mitigation work will see the continuation of work to install a new debris fence at the steep channel formed above the route following major landslips in August and September. Teams are on track to complete this stage of mitigation work by the end of November, which will provide additional protection for the A83 and allow it to resume operation overnight.

The OMR will remain under close review with teams paying close attention the weather forecast and continually monitoring the hillside above the road.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The debris fences performed as designed at the weekend and successfully prevented two landslips from reaching the carriageway following over 90mm of heavy rain within 24 hours. Teams are how undertaking work to repair the nets, remove the debris and reinstate them as before.

“This work is complex due to damage caused by boulders brought down in the debris, with teams expecting to complete the repairs by mid-November. We’re continuing to put road user safety first and until the debris fences are back to full capacity we’ll be diverting all road users via the OMR as a precaution.

“We’ll continue to carry out daily assessments of the hillside and closely monitor the weather forecast, and we’ll keep the operation of the OMR under close review.

“Engineers are also continuing work on the in-channel barrier above the steep channel formed in August and September, which once complete will provide extra mitigation and protection for the A83, allowing us to keep the road open overnight under traffic light control as before and stand down the night-time use of the OMR. This stage of work is on track to be completed at the end of November.

“We understand this is a very frustrating situation and as ever we thank all road users and the local community for their patience while we do everything we can to complete the ongoing work at the A83.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Tuesday 3 November – 10.00am

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE AT A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL REOPENS

• OMR to remain in use overnight

• A83 remains closed and teams continue with work to address debris caught in landslip mitigation fences

The Old Military Road (OMR) local diversion route at the Rest and Be Thankful reopened to all road users at around 7.45am this morning following a safety inspection at first light.

The route, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, will remain in use overnight with traffic being convoyed through the single-track road. Teams will closely monitor conditions in the area and on the hillside and the route will remain under close review.

The OMR was closed as a safety precaution overnight due to further heavy rain forecast in the area with all traffic diverted via the standard diversion route, however this has since been stood down.

The A83 remains closed at the Rest and Be Thankful while teams work to address debris from two landslips which were caught in landslide mitigation fences on the hillside from the heavy rain brought in by

Storm Aiden, as well as repair the fences to their full capacity. No material reached the roadside during the landslips this weekend.

Engineers are also continuing with work to install further mitigation measures on the hillside including an in-channel debris barrier following major landslips in August and September.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The Old Military Road reopened this morning following a safety inspection from our geotechnical team, and we’re intending to keep the route in use overnight.

“We’ll be closely monitoring conditions in the area throughout the day and during the hours of darkness and we’ll keep the route under close review.

“Teams are continuing with work to control the water flow, and repair and empty the debris fences to regain their full capacity following this past weekend’s wet weather. Engineers also continue with work to install additional mitigation measures on the hillside at the Rest.

“As ever, we thank the local community and road users for their continued patience while we do everything we can to address the ongoing situation at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Monday 2 November – 10.15am

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE REOPENED FOLLOWING SAFETY INSPECTION HOWEVER WILL CLOSE FROM 6PM OVERNIGHT AS SAFETY PRECAUTION
• All traffic to be diverted via standard diversion route from 6pm
• Further heavy rain forecast overnight on Monday
• Assessment to take place Tuesday AM to consider reopening
• Work continues on hillside

The Old Military Road local diversion route reopened at around 7.45am this morning following a safety inspection from geotechnical specialists, however is set to close again from 6pm this evening due to further heavy rain forecast.

The standard diversion route via the A83, A82, A85 and A819 will be implemented overnight as a safety precaution as more wet weather is forecast to impact the area at the Rest and Be Thankful.

Over the past weekend Storm Aiden brought around 90mm of heavy rain since early Saturday morning which caused two significant landslides at the Rest, both of which were held back from reaching the A83 by the landslide debris fences on the hillside. Teams will continue with assessments of the hillside throughout Monday and begin work to clear the debris from the fences and complete any repairs.

Engineers are also continuing to install further mitigation measures at the steep channel formed by major landslips in August and September, including an in-channel barrier on the hillside.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative: “We’re continuing to lead on a safety-first approach and have taken the decision to close the OMR overnight tonight from 6pm due to further heavy rain forecast in the area.

“All traffic will be diverted via the A83, A82, A85 and A819 overnight, and we’ll have our patrols in place so they are available to respond to any issues on the diversion route to ensure we are doing everything we can to help keep traffic moving.

“We’ll carry out an assessment as first light on Tuesday with a view to reopening the OMR to road users tomorrow morning.

“This past weekend’s wet weather has had a significant impact on the hillside, including causing two significant landslips which were prevented from reaching the road by the debris fences, however we need to carry out work at each location to control water flow, empty the fences to regain their capacity and undertake repairs.

“As ever we thank the local community and motorists for their continued patience while we do everything we can to address the ongoing situation at the Rest.”
Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

What alternative travel options are available at the Rest and Be Thankful when the A83 and Old Military Road are closed overnight?

• Ferry provider Western Ferries can accommodate diverted traffic. Up to date information available at www.western-ferries.co.uk by phone 01369 704452 or email enquiries@western-ferries.co.uk

• The standard diversion route runs from the closure points at Tarbet to Cairndow, and is detailed below:
o A82/ A85 / A819: Westbound: Turn right onto the A82 at Tarbet and follow the road until Crianlarich – Turn left onto A82 and continue until Tyndrum – Turn left onto the A85 and continue until Dalmally – Turn left onto A819 and follow the road until Inveraray. Thereafter follow permanent signing. Distance: 58.8 miles.
o Eastbound: At Inveraray, turn left onto the A819 then follow the road until Dalmally – Turn right onto the A85 and continue until Tyndrum – Turn right onto the A82 and follow the road to Crianlarich – Turn right onto A82 and follow the road until Tarbet. Distance: 58.8 miles.

Sunday 1 November – 12:15PM

THE OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE AT THE REST AND BE THANKFUL REOPENS

• OMR to close overnight as a safety precaution

• All traffic to be diverted via standard diversion route from 6pm

• Further wet weather forecast

• Teams continue to assess impact of heavy rain to hillside

• Safety inspection will be carried out tomorrow at first light

The Old Military Road at the A83 Rest and be Thankful reopened to traffic at 12PM (Sunday) after closing yesterday due to heavy rain impacting the area causing flooding and two landslides.

The local diversion route will close on Sunday night as a safety precaution due to further forecast wet weather. All traffic will be diverted from 6pm on to the standard diversion route via the A83, A82, A85 and A819.

Safety assessments will take place at first light tomorrow morning (Monday) to determine if it is safe to reopen the local diversion route.

Two significant landslides occurred on Saturday morning which were held in the debris fences. The weather has precluded a full review of these however these will be assessed today.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said: “Following safety inspections and clear up operations, the Old Military Road reopened to traffic at mid-day after it was closed yesterday due to heavy rain impacting the area.

“Safety remains our top priority and due to further forecast heavy rainfall overnight and input from our geotechnical specialists, we have taken the decision to close the Old Military Road as a precaution overnight tonight.

“A full safety assessment will take place at first light tomorrow morning to determine if it is safe to reopen the Old Military Road.

“The previous standard diversion route via the A83, A82, A85 and A819 will be reinstated from 6pm tonight until it is considered safe to reopen the local OMR diversion route.

“Assessments are also on-going today at two locations where landslides were caught in the debris fences and a plan established to allow the full re-opening of the A83.

“Safety has to come first and as ever we thank the local community and road users for their patience while we address the situation at the Rest.  Argyll remains very much open for business and we ask road users to plan their journey in advance by checking Traffic Scotland for the real-time travel information.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Saturday 31 October – 12:20PM

Friday 30 October – 11.35AM

Wednesday 28 October – 5.20PM

A83 TO REMAIN CLOSED THROUGHOUT DAY ON THURSDAY DUE TO HEAVY RAIN FORECAST

• Up to 40mm of rain forecast throughout the day

• Old Military Road to be in use as local diversion route for all road users from 6pm tonight until Friday morning

• Yellow heavy rain warning issued for Saturday and Sunday

• Teams to continue to monitor conditions in the area

Road users travelling on the A83 tomorrow will be diverted via the Old Military Road at the Rest and be Thankful throughout the day due to forecast heavy rain in the area, with teams from BEAR Scotland closely monitoring conditions in the area.

The A83 will remain closed from 6pm this evening until at least Friday morning due to a weather front moving in across the west coast of Scotland which could bring up to 40mm of rain in the area.

All road users will be diverted via the Old Military Road as a safety precaution during the daytime as well as overnight. The hillside and weather conditions in the area will be closely monitored throughout the day by geotechnical specialists on site.

The A83 will be assessed on Friday morning ahead of a potential reopening during the daytime once the weather front has passed. Overnight operation of the Old Military Road will then resume from 6pm as a safety precaution during the hours of darkness, whilst an in-channel barrier is installed on the hillside above the A83 to provide extra resilience to the route. This work is expected to be complete in late-November.

A Met Office yellow warning for heavy rain has been issued across parts of the west coast from 6am on Saturday until midnight on Sunday, and teams will be closely monitoring conditions in the area.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Tomorrow’s weather forecast indicates that up to 40mm of rain is expected to impact the Rest and Be Thankful throughout the day, and for safety we have decided to run the Old Military Road during the hours of daylight tomorrow.

“We’ll have geotechnical teams closely monitoring the area to note for any changes in conditions on the hillside.

“Engineers are continuing with mitigation work at the Rest however will be stood down from working on the hillside if conditions deteriorate.

“We’ll carry out a full safety assessment on Friday morning and will look to reopen the A83 during the day if safe to do so. The OMR will then be brought back into operation at 6pm as part of the pattern of regular local night time diversions outlined yesterday.

“With Met Office yellow warnings in place for heavy rain in place from Saturday morning we’ll be keeping a close eye on the weather forecast this weekend.

“As ever we thank all road users for their patience and assure them we’re doing everything we can to address the ongoing situation at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Tuesday 27 October – 4.30PM

OVERNIGHT CLOSURES OF A83 AT REST AND BE THANKFUL TO CONTINUE EACH NIGHT FROM 6PM UNTIL LATE NOVEMBER WHEN CURRENT PHASE OF MITIGATION IS COMPLETE

• Overnight use of Old Military Road local diversion route from 6pm every night as safety precaution

• Water saturation on hillside, regular rainfall and limitations in safely monitoring the area overnight has informed decision

• Safety inspection to take place at first light each morning to assess for A83 reopening

• Mitigation measures expected to take four weeks to complete

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will close overnight from 6pm each evening as a safety precaution until the current phase of mitigation is completed on the hillside in late November.

From today (Tuesday), all traffic will be diverted via the Old Military Road from 6pm each night as a safety precaution until engineers have completed the construction of an in-channel debris barrier on the hillside, which will provide extra resilience to the A83. Teams will work continuously to install the barrier which is expected to be complete by the end of November.

A safety inspection will take place at first light each morning ahead of a potential reopening on the A83 under traffic signal control.

As a result of the landslips in August and September, the slopes situated above the A83 at the Rest have been left heavily scarred and exposed to further erosion, with loose material present both on the hillside and within the newly formed channel directly above the road.

The behaviour of the hillside and the newly formed channel has been closely monitored for movement by geotechnical specialists since the landslips occurred, with the road opening based on these inspections.

Over the past week significant rainfall – around 150mm since Sunday 18 October – has inundated the Rest, with small amounts of debris and silt from the hillside gradually reaching the specially created catch-pits next to the A83, however no material impacted the carriageway. This week further heavy rain is anticipated at the Rest and be Thankful.

The nature and intensity of rainfall requires constant monitoring of the hillside for indications of movement that may pose a safety risk to road users and teams on site. Whilst continuous inspection is viable during daylight hours, it is not safe to continue with close inspections during darkness given the saturation on the hillside, further rainfall and the threat of material movement.

Once the in-channel barrier is installed on the hillside, teams will be able to continue with the construction of a new roadside catch pit at the foot of the newly formed channel which will provide further protection for the A83. With the in-channel barrier in place it is also envisaged that the A83 will be more resilient for operation during darkness under traffic light control.

Closing the A83 at 6pm each night from today until late November will allow for reliable journey times for road users travelling on the A83 and allow them to plan accordingly to account for the Old Military Road local diversion route.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re continuing to put motorist safety first, and as more seasonal wet weather approaches we have taken the decision to close the A83 each night from 6pm overnight as a safety precaution.

“The Old Military Road will be used overnight for all road users with an inspection taking place at first light in the morning ahead of a potential reopening on the A83 under traffic signal control.

“Already over the past week we’ve seen the challenges that normal autumnal weather is presenting with the current condition of the hillside at the Rest.

“With more rain forecast this week, we need to ensure we’re doing everything we can to protect road users. With autumnal weather expected to bring wet conditions most weeks on an already saturated hillside, it is extremely difficult for us to safely monitor the slopes above the A83 during the hours of darkness.

“Engineers anticipate having the in-channel debris barrier in operation by late November, which will provide a good degree of resilience to the A83 and provide us with more confidence in safely opening the road again overnight.

“We understand the frustration that this may cause however we need to prioritise safety at all times. We’re also hoping that by making this decision now will provide a degree of clarity for road users and allow people to plan their journeys in advance.

“As ever we thank the local community and road users for their patience in advance while we do everything we can to address the ongoing situation at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Tuesday 27 October – 8.15AM

A83 REOPENS UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL AT THE REST AND BE THANKFUL

• Route remains under close review

• Old Military Road local diversion route remains on standby

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful reopened at around 7.50am this morning following a safety inspection from geotechnical teams on site.

The Old Military Road local diversion route was used from 5pm overnight as a safety precaution due to further heavy rain forecast early morning today.

The A83 will remain under close review with the Old Military Road local diversion on standby ready to be implemented should conditions deteriorate.

Further heavy rain is forecast in the area throughout the week and teams will be closely monitoring weather conditions.

Teams are continuing with construction of mitigation measures on the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The A83 has reopened this morning following a safety inspection by our geotechnical teams this morning.

“We’re continuing to prioritise road user safety at all times and with further heavy rain forecast in the coming days we’ll be closely monitoring conditions at the Rest and keeping the route under close review. The Old Military Road diversion remains on standby and will be implemented for all road users as a safety precaution should we feel it is required.

“We thank all road users and the local community for their patience while we continue with the ongoing work at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Monday 26 October – 4.20pm

A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL TO CLOSE OVERNIGHT DUE TO SATURATED HILLSIDE AND FURTHER RAIN FORECAST

• Old Military Road local diversion route to be used overnight for all motorists

• Safety inspection to take place tomorrow morning to determine if safe to reopen A83

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will close overnight from 5pm due to continuing concerns over water saturation on the hillside and the further rain forecast for Tuesday morning.

The Old Military Road will be used as a local diversion route from 5pm this evening to convoy road users through Glen Croe as a safety precaution.

The route has been under close review due to continued wet weather impacting the area and hillside above the A83 over the past week.

Teams are continuing with construction of mitigation measures on the A83.

A geotechnical safety inspection will take place tomorrow morning to determine if the A83 can safely reopen.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Following on from several days of heavy rain in the area, we’ve taken the decision to close the road again overnight as a safety precaution with all road users being diverted via the Old Military Road.

“We’re leading with a safety-first approach and with more rain forecast we’re closing the road as a safety precaution due to the limitations in being able to safely monitor the hillside during the hours of darkness.

“We’ll review the situation tomorrow morning and carry out a safety inspection once conditions allow with a view to reopening the A83 once safe to do so.

“As ever we thank the local community and all road users for their patience while we address the ongoing situation at the Rest and Be Thankful.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Monday 26 October – 8.00am

A83 REOPENS UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL FOLLOWING SAFETY INSPECTION

• Old Military Road diversion route remains on standby as a precaution

• Route remains under close review with more heavy rain forecast this week

• Teams continue with mitigation work in area

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful reopened to road users under traffic light control at around 7.45am following a safety inspection.

The route was closed on Sunday night as a precautionary measure, with the Old Military Road local diversion put into operation at 5pm given the heavily saturated hillside above the A83 and the forecast rain overnight.

Geotechnical specialists assessed the hillside and steep channels above the carriageway at first light for safety before the A83 reopened.

The A83 and the hillside above at the Rest and Be Thankful is being kept under careful observation given the recent heavy rainfall experienced and with further weather events now forecast this week. As part of BEAR’s safety first approach, the Old Military Road local diversion route is being retained in a state of readiness should it be required.

Where a diversion from the A83 becomes necessary, all road users will be switched to the Old Military Road with vehicles convoyed along the local diversion, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe.

Engineers are continuing to install mitigation measures on the hillside above the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The A83 reopened under traffic light control at around 7.45am this morning following a safety inspection by our geotechnical teams on site.

“We’re putting road user safety first and the route will be kept under careful review with teams continuing to monitor the weather conditions in the area as well as the hillside above the road. Given the level of rainfall experienced over the past week, we have retained the OMR local diversion in a state of readiness.

“It is particularly difficult for us to monitor the hillside and any sudden changes in conditions during the hours of darkness, and given the further rain forecast, we continue to put the safety of motorists first by having the OMR local diversion available for implementation at any time that a diversion might become necessary.

“We are continuing to install mitigation measures at the A83 and we will endeavour to do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum. As ever we thank road users and the local community for their patience while we continue this work at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Sunday 25 October – 9:10AM

A83 REOPENS UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL FOLLOWING SAFETY INSPECTION

• Old Military Road diversion route remains on standby as a precaution

• Route remains under close review following week of heavy rain

• Teams continue with mitigation work in area

• A83 to close at 5pm with Old Military Road local diversion to operate overnight

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful reopened to road users under traffic light control at around 8am following a safety inspection.

As a precautionary measure during the hours of darkness, the Old Military Road local diversion route was put into operation from 6pm on Saturday evening, but has now been stood down.

Geotechnical specialists assessed the hillside and steep channels above the carriageway for safety before the A83 reopened.

The A83 will be kept under careful review following almost a week of heavy rain in the area where approximately 130mm has fallen. As part of our safety first approach, and given the level of water saturation experienced by the hillside at the Rest and Be Thankful, the Old Military Road local diversion route will remain in a state of readiness should it be required.

With further periods of rainfall expected across Argyll on Sunday and into Monday morning, the A83 will close at 5pm on Sunday as a safety precaution. All road users will be switched to the Old Military Road with vehicles convoyed along the local diversion, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, throughout the night.

Engineers are continuing to install mitigation measures on the hillside above the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The A83 reopened under traffic light control at around 8am this morning following a safety inspection by our geotechnical teams on site.

“We’re putting road user safety first and the route will be kept under careful review with teams continuing to monitor the conditions in the area as well as the hillside above the road. Given the level of rainfall experienced over the past week, we have retained the OMR local diversion in a state of readiness.

“It is difficult for us to monitor the hillside and any sudden changes in conditions during the hours of darkness, and given the further rain forecast, we continue to put the safety of motorists first and will close the A83 as a precaution overnight and utilise the OMR local diversion instead. We are continuing to install mitigation measures at the A83 and we will endeavour to do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum. As ever we thank road users and the local community for their patience while we continue this work at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Saturday 24 October – 17:15PM

A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL TO CLOSE FOR SAFETY FROM 6PM DUE TO FURTHER RAIN FORECAST SUNDAY MORNING

• Old Military Road local diversion to be implemented from 6pm tonight as a safety precaution
• A83 will be inspected on Sunday morning with a view to re-opening

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to be implemented for road users this evening due to a further period of heavy rainfall expected on Sunday morning.

The A83 route will close from 6pm as a safety precaution given the already saturated hillside at the Rest and Be Thankful. Vehicles will be convoyed along the Old Military Road local diversion, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, throughout the night.

Teams continue to monitor the hillside and conditions in the area with engineers continuing with mitigation work on the route.

A geotechnical assessment will be undertaken from first light tomorrow (Sunday) to determine if the A83 can safely reopen.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said: “We’ve assessed the hillside and the forecast weather conditions, and given the extent of rainfall in past days we have taken the decision to close the A83 overnight as a safety precaution.

“It is difficult for us to monitor the hillside and any sudden changes in conditions during the hours of darkness, so we’re continuing to put the safety of motorists first and will close the A83 as a precaution overnight and utilise the OMR local diversion instead.

“We’ll review the situation tomorrow morning and carry out further assessments from first light to determine if we can reopen the A83.

“Further heavy rain is forecast over the coming days and we’ll be closely monitoring the weather conditions and the hillside at the Rest.

“As ever we’ll do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum, and we thank all road users and the local community for their continued patience and understanding.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, Twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Saturday 24 October – 10.15AM

A83 REOPENS UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL FOLLOWING OVERNIGHT HEAVY RAIN

• Old Military Road diversion route remains on standby as a precaution

• Route remains under close review following almost a week of heavy rain

• Teams continue with mitigation work in area

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful has reopened to road users under traffic light control at around 10am following a safety inspection.

Heavy rain overnight and throughout Saturday morning meant the Old Military Road local diversion route was in use as a safety precaution for road users from 6pm on Friday evening, although has since been stood down.

Geotechnical specialists assessed the hillside and steep channels above the carriageway for safety before the A83 reopened.

The A83 will be kept under careful review following almost a week of heavy rain in the area. The Old Military Road local diversion route will remain on standby ready to be implemented quickly should conditions deteriorate, or teams identify changes in conditions on the hillside.

Engineers are continuing to install mitigation measures on the hillside above the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The A83 reopened under traffic light control at around 10am this morning following a thorough safety inspection by our geotechnical teams on site.

“We’re putting road user safety first and the route will be kept under careful review with teams continuing to monitor the conditions in the area as well as the hillside above the road. The OMR will remain on standby ready to be implemented should conditions change at the Rest and we need to switch to the local diversion as a safety precaution.

“In the meantime we’re continuing to install more mitigation measures at the A83 and we’ll endeavour to do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum. As ever we thank road users and the local community for their patience while we continue this work at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Friday 23 October – 9.30AM

A83 AT REST AND BE THANKFUL REOPENS UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL HOWEVER WILL CLOSE AT 6PM DUE TO HEAVY RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT

• Further heavy rainfall expected from the early hours of Saturday morning

• Old Military Road local diversion to be implemented from 6pm tonight as a safety precaution

• Daily assessments to be carried out and route to remain under close observation due to further heavy rain forecast throughout weekend

• Mitigation work continues

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful reopened under traffic light control at around 8.30am this morning following a safety inspection, however the road will close again at 6pm this evening due to forecast heavy rain expected overnight into Saturday morning.

The route was closed at 6pm on Thursday due to the forecast for rainfall overnight, with all traffic switched to the 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 this morning.

Further rainfall is expected across Argyll throughout Friday night and early Saturday morning, and 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.

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.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Thursday 22 October – 3.45PM

A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL TO CLOSE FOR SAFETY FROM 6PM DUE TO FURTHER RAIN FORECAST OVERNIGHT

• All traffic to be diverted via Old Military Road local diversion route from 6pm

• Monitoring of the hillside will continue overnight

• A83 will be inspected at first light with a view to reopening

• Mitigation work continues on hillside

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to be implemented for road users from 6pm this evening due to a further period of heavy rainfall expected in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

One lane of the A83 was reopened this morning under traffic signal control at around 8.45am, however the route will close from 6pm this evening as a safety precaution given the already saturated hillside at the Rest and Be Thankful. Vehicles will be convoyed along the Old Military Road local diversion, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, throughout the night.

An estimated 96mm of rain has already fallen at the Rest and Be Thankful since Sunday night.

Teams continue to monitor the hillside and conditions in the area with engineers continuing with mitigation work on the route.

A geotechnical assessment will be undertaken from first light tomorrow (Friday) to determine if the A83 can safely reopen.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said: “We’ve assessed the hillside and the forecast weather conditions for this evening, and have taken the decision to close the A83 overnight tonight as a safety precaution.

“It is difficult for us to monitor the hillside and any sudden changes in conditions during the hours of darkness, particularly after several days of heavy rain, so we’re continuing to put the safety of motorists first and will close the A83 as a precaution overnight and utilise the OMR local diversion instead.

“We’ll review the situation tomorrow morning and carry out further assessments from first light to determine if we can reopen the A83 as before during the daytime.

“Further heavy rain is forecast in the coming days and we’ll be closely monitoring the weather conditions and the hillside at the Rest.

“As ever we’ll do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum, and we thank all road users and the local community for their continued patience and understanding.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Thursday 22 October – 9.15AM

A83 REOPENS AT REST AND BE THANKFUL FOLLOWING SAFETY INSPECTION

• Route to remain under close observation due to further heavy rain forecast in coming days

• Local diversion via Old Military Road being kept on standby

• Mitigation work continues on hillside

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful reopened under traffic light control at around 8.45am this morning following a safety inspection.

Heavy rain since Sunday night prompted the closure of the road as a safety precaution, with all traffic diverted via the Old Military Road (OMR) local diversion route, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, while teams carefully monitored the hillside. The standard diversion route was implemented early on Wednesday morning as a further precaution due to a blocked surface water channel above the OMR, however this was cleared and the OMR was able to re-open at 10.45am yesterday.

An early daylight inspection of the A83 and the hillside by geotechnical experts this morning enabled the road to be reopened.

Teams estimate around 96mm of rain has fallen in the area since Sunday night.

Further heavy rain is forecast in the coming days and teams will continue to carefully monitor the hillside and assess the route on a daily basis to determine whether it is safe to remain in operation.

The Old Military Road is being maintained in a state of readiness as a local diversion route should the A83 at the Rest be closed.

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 8.45am this morning following a thorough safety assessment by our geotechnical team.

“Road user safety is a top priority and with more heavy rain forecast in the coming days we’re continuing to keep the use of the A83 under close review with geotechnical specialists on site carefully monitoring and assessing the hillside and conditions in the area.

“We’re leading on a safety-first approach with teams ready to mobilise use of the Old Military Road local diversion quickly to ensure road users can safely travel through Glen Croe should the A83 be closed as a precaution.

“We’ll endeavour to do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum. As ever we thank road users and the local community for their patience while we continue this work at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 21 October – 3.45PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION TO REMAIN IN USE OVERNIGHT

• A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful remains closed as a safety precaution

• Geotechnical inspections and monitoring continues on hillside above A83

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to remain in use overnight tonight (Wednesday) as a safety precaution at the Rest and Be Thankful due to further rain forecast in the area.

The local diversion route, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, will remain in use overnight under convoy operation with teams carrying out a full safety assessment of the A83 tomorrow morning (Thursday) to consider if it is safe to reopen.

The OMR local diversion route was previously closed from midnight on Wednesday morning due to concerns about an overflowing channel on the slope above the route, but was reopened at around 10.45am this morning following repairs to the channel and a full safety inspection.

Geotechnical inspections are ongoing across the hillside above the A83 following the recent heavy rainfall at the Rest. Around 86mm of rain is thought to have fallen in the area in the past 48 hours, with further rain expected overnight.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re taking a safety-first approach and have made the decision to keep the Old Military Road in operation overnight as a precaution due to the continued heavy rainfall in the area.

“Our geotechnical team are closely monitoring conditions at the Rest and are in the process of carrying out assessments of the slopes and steep channels above the A83, and wider hillside, following the most recent period of heavy rain.

“We’ll keep the OMR under close review overnight tonight and carry out a further assessment of the A83 tomorrow morning.

“In the meantime we thank the local community and all road users for their continued patience and we’ll do everything we can to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 21 October – 12.15PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD REOPENED AT REST AND BE THANKFUL AFTER OVERNIGHT CLOSURE AS SAFETY PRECAUTION

• Local diversion route back in use following geotechnical assessment and safety inspection

• A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful remains closed as a safety precaution

• Further inspections continue on hillside above A83

The Old Military Road local diversion route has reopened to road users after being closed last night as a precautionary measure.

Traffic is now being convoyed through the single-track route, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, after it reopened at around 10.45am. The standard diversion route via the A82, A85 and A819 was implemented from just after midnight but has since been stood down.

The Old Military Road was closed at around midnight last night after teams noted heavy volumes of water and silt were overflowing the banks of a watercourse channel on the lower slope between the A83 and the Old Military Road, prompting concerns it could impact the Old Military Road carriageway. Engineers have since completed a full geotechnical inspection of the slope below the A83 and carried out work to secure the channel, allowing the OMR local diversion route to reopen to traffic.

Given the volume of rainfall experienced in recent days, the A83 remains closed as a safety precaution while geotechnical inspections continue on the hillside.

An estimated 86mm of rain has fallen at the Rest and Be Thankful in the past 48 hours.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The Old Military Road local diversion route has reopened to traffic after it was closed around midnight last night as a safety precaution.

“Our team identified that one of the channels had experienced a build-up of silt and water after a period of heavy rain, which was causing it to spill across land above the OMR, prompting us to implement a closure for safety.

“The issue has been addressed this morning and the water flow redirected back into the channel as before, allowing us to reopen the OMR.

“We’re continuing with further geotechnical inspections on the hillside above the A83 and paying close attention to weather conditions in the area.

“Safety of all road users is a top priority and we thank all the local community and motorists for their patience while we do everything we can to address the situation at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 21 October – 9am

Tuesday 20 October – 4pm

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE TO REMAIN IN USE UNTIL WEDNESDAY MORNING

• Teams targeting reopening A83 under traffic light control mid-morning Wednesday subject to safety assessment

• Geotechnical specialists monitoring conditions on hillside

• Engineers continue with mitigation works

The Old Military Road local diversion route at the Rest and Be Thankful is to remain in use overnight tonight (Tuesday) with teams targeting reopening the A83 under traffic light control mid-morning on Wednesday following a safety assessment by geotechnical specialists at first light.

The local diversion route, which runs parallel to the A83, has been in use since Sunday evening due to heavy rainfall which prompted the closure of the A83 as a safety precaution.

Teams will remain on site to monitor conditions in the area once the A83 reopens, and engineers will also continue to progress with the installation of further mitigation measures on the hillside to provide further landslip resilience for the route.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We closed the A83 on Sunday evening as a safety precaution due to forecast heavy rain and we’ve been paying close attention to the weather conditions in the area.

“The Old Military Road has been operating well and will remain in use overnight as a local diversion for road users. We’re expecting to reopen one lane of the A83 mid-morning tomorrow (Wednesday), subject to an early morning safety inspection by geotechnical specialists.

“Teams will remain onsite to monitor conditions overnight and we will continue to progress our mitigation work on the A83 following its reopening.

“As ever we thank the local community and road users for their continued patience while we do everything we can to address the ongoing situation at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Monday 19 October – 4.30pm

OLD MILITARY ROAD TO REMAIN IN USE AS LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE DUE TO HEAVY RAIN

• Met Office yellow warning for rain in place until Tuesday

• A83 remains closed at Rest and be Thankful as safety precaution due to heavy rain

• Teams continue to monitor hillside and mitigation work continues

The Old Military Road local diversion route at the Rest and Be Thankful is to remain in use overnight and throughout Tuesday due to forecast heavy rain in the area.

The local diversion route, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, was implemented around 6pm yesterday evening with traffic being convoyed along the single-track road.

A Met Office yellow warning for heavy rain is currently in place until 9am tomorrow across the central belt and south west coast.

Heavy rain is forecast at the Rest and Be Thankful until early Wednesday morning.

Geotechnical specialists are on site monitoring the hillside and the impact of the weather conditions in the area. Engineers are continuing to implement further mitigation measures at the A83, which once complete will provide further landslip resilience to the route.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Heavy rain has been falling throughout the day and with more rain forecast tomorrow we’ve taken the decision to keep the Old Military Road in use as a local diversion route through until Wednesday morning as a safety precaution.

“We’re paying close attention to the weather conditions in the area and our geotechnical specialists are carefully monitoring the hillside.

“The Old Military Road local diversion route is operating well, and teams will continue to do all they can to minimise disruption as much as possible.

“Safety of road users remains our top priority and as ever we thank road users and the local community for their continued patience.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Sunday 18 October – 11:40 AM

BEAR SCOTLAND TEAMS ON STANDBY FOR HEAVY RAIN

• Met Office Yellow warning for rain across parts of country on Monday and Tuesday

• A83 Rest and Be Thankful to close at 6pm on Sunday evening as a safety precaution

• Old Military Road to resume operation as A83 local diversion route.

BEAR Scotland teams are on standby as heavy rain is forecast to impact the west coast of Scotland on Monday and Tuesday.

The Met Office has issued a Yellow warning for heavy rain across parts of the country from 03:00 on Monday to 09:00 on Tuesday.

As a safety precaution, the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will close from 6pm this evening (Sunday), with all traffic diverted via the Old Military Road (OMR) which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe. This follows the recent landslips in the area and concerns from geotechnical engineers about the impact of such heavy rain on the scarred hillside.   We will continue to keep the situation under review but the diversion to the OMR may remain in place over the course of Monday and Tuesday.  The timing for re-opening of the A83 will be determined from the safety inspections to be conducted once the weather front has passed.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday indicates that heavy rainfall is expected, which could have an impact on the hillside situated above the A83.

“We continue to implement a safety-first approach and have taken the decision to close the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful from 6pm this evening with all traffic diverted via the Old Military Road through the glen.   Our geotechnical team will monitor conditions throughout Monday and Tuesday with a view to reopening the A83 once the weather front has passed and following a thorough safety inspection.

“Our 24/7 control room team will also be monitoring conditions across the whole network to help coordinate resource where required and help keep motorists moving.

“We encourage all road users to plan ahead and check Traffic Scotland for the latest travel advice before setting out.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Friday 9 October – 8.30AM

Thursday 8 October – 4.30PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION TO BE USED OVERNIGHT AS HEAVY RAIN IS FORECAST AT REST AND BE THANKFUL

• A83 Rest and Be Thankful to close overnight from 6pm Thursday as a safety precaution due to forecast heavy rain

• Road expected to reopen under traffic light control on Friday morning

Road users at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will be diverted to the Old Military Road local diversion route from 6pm tonight (Thursday) due to forecast heavy rain.

Prolonged heavy rainfall showers are forecast overnight in the Argyll area, with the decision taken to close the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful from 6pm as a safety precaution. All road users will be diverted to the OMR, a single track road which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, overnight on Thursday.

The A83 is expected to reopen on Friday morning under traffic light control following a safety inspection at first light.

Teams continue to construct further mitigation measures at the Rest and Be Thankful following two major landslips in August and September. These measures include work to stabilise the recently formed steep channel above the A83, construction of a debris fence and a catch pit.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Tonight’s forecast has indicated periods of intense heavy rainfall which could have the ability to impact on the hillside above the A83.

“We’re leading on a safety-first approach and therefore the A83 will close as a safety precaution from around 6pm with all traffic being diverted via the Old Military Road local diversion route overnight.

“We expect to reopen the road tomorrow morning after a safety inspection at first light. As ever we thank road users and the local community for their patience while we do everything we can to address the ongoing situation at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available at Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Friday 2 October – 4.45PM

Thursday 1 October – 9.35AM

A83 REOPENS AT REST AND BE THANKFUL FOLLOWING SAFETY INSPECTION

• Mitigation work continues on hillside

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful has reopened under traffic light control at around 7.45AM after it was closed as a safety precaution yesterday morning.

Heavy rain in the area on Wednesday prompted teams to divert all traffic via the Old Military Road local diversion route, which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, as a safety precaution while teams carefully monitored the hillside above the road.

The road and hillside were carefully inspected this morning and the A83 was reopened following the green light from geotechnical experts.

Mitigation work continues on the hillside and recently formed steep channel above the A83 to create further landslip resilience for the route.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said; “The A83 reopened under traffic light control this morning following a thorough safety assessment by our geotechnical team.

“Safety of all road users is our top priority, and we closed the road yesterday morning as a safety precaution.

“We’ll continue to closely monitor weather conditions and gather feedback from the geotechnical team on the hillside. Our teams are continuing with the development of further mitigation work which will provide additional landslip resilience for the A83.

“As ever we thank road users and the local community for their patience while we continue this work at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available form Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 30 September – 6.00PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE TO REMAIN IN USE OVERNIGHT DUE TO CONTINUED HEAVY RAIN

• Teams target mid-morning reopening of A83 on Thursday

• Geotechnical specialists continue to monitor conditions

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to remain in use overnight as a safety precaution due to continued heavy rain in the area.

The OMR local diversion route, a private single-track road which runs parallel to the A83 through Glen Croe, was implemented at around 8am this morning (Wednesday) with traffic being convoyed through the area.

Heavy rain has been experienced throughout the day and geotechnical specialists remain on site monitoring conditions on the hillside above the A83.

The A83 carriageway is expected to reopen tomorrow (Thursday) mid-morning under traffic light control following a full safety assessment in the area.

Teams are continuing to carry out mitigation work on the hillside to provide further protection for the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’ve been closely monitoring the weather forecast as well as conditions on site throughout the day and we’ve taken the decision to keep the Old Military Road in use overnight for road users as a safety precaution.

“Conditions are set to improve overnight so we’re targeting reopening the A83 under traffic light control mid-morning tomorrow following a full safety and geotechnical inspection.

“We need to ensure safety of road users is prioritised at all times, and as ever we appreciate and thank the local community and all road users for their patience. Argyll remains for business and we’ll continue to do everything we can to keep any disruption to a minimum.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 30 September – 9.15am

Wednesday 23 September – 9.00AM

A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL REOPENS UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL AFTER LANDSLIP REPAIR WORK COMPLETE

• Engineers continue with further mitigation work in area

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful reopened under traffic light control this morning at around 7.35am after a series of repairs and clear-up operations were completed following a landslide on Sunday 13 September.

The road was inspected by Police Scotland and geotechnical specialists for a final safety check before reopening one lane to road users.

Engineers will continue to carry out further mitigation work in the area.

Teams worked round the clock since the landslip occurred earlier in September to complete a series of repairs and clear-up operations.

Around 2,000 tonnes of material reached the A83 following a period of intense heavy rainfall early morning on Sunday 13 September.

The A83 and Old Military Road had already been closed as a precaution on Saturday evening with all traffic being diverted overnight.

As the weather continued further debris continued to reach the road, with a total of 5,000 tonnes of material thought to have moved as a result of the landslip. Teams began clear-up operations on Monday 14 September which involved clearing the debris and boulders from the road, carrying out repairs to an undermined section of road and the reinstatement of a large debris catch fence and roadside safety barrier.

Traffic was diverted via the Old Military Road from Tuesday 15 September until the road reopened this morning.

The landslip in September occurred at the same location as an earlier landslip which happened on 4 August. The A83 was closed while teams completed a series of complex repairs to the carriageway, embankment and steep channel above the road before the route reopened just under five weeks later.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The A83 reopened under traffic light control shortly after 7.35am following a final safety inspection with representatives from Police Scotland and our geotechnical team.

“Teams are continuing with mitigation work in the area to provide further landslip resilience to the route. We’re also continuing with work on the next phase of catch-pit installation on the A83 which will add further landslip mitigation in the area.

“Teams have worked round the clock to reopen the A83 as quickly as possible, and we thank the local community and motorists for their support and patience while we did everything we could to address the most recent landslip at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

What Has Happened at the Rest and Be Thankful?

• A large landslide occurred on the evening of Tuesday 4 August at the Rest and Be Thankful blocking the road after around 100mm of rain fell in the Argyll area.
• The source of the landslip was located around 200m high above the A83, which split into two main channels as it spread out in a “fan effect” down the hillside. One of the channels filtered into one of the landslip mitigation catch-pits which prevented around 2,000 tonnes of material from reaching the road, with around 1,500 tonnes of debris reaching the carriageway at the second channel. Car-sized boulders also reached the roadside in the debris. A further 2,000 tonnes of material was washed onto the Old Military Road.
• In total, the landslide is thought to have moved around 10,000 tonnes of debris on the hillside following detailed geotechnical calculations of the hillside, making it one of the largest landslips in recent times. Earlier estimates put the original figure at 6,000 tonnes.
• On Wednesday 5 August teams worked to begin the initial clear-up operations and carry out geotechnical assessments and safety investigations into the damage caused by the landslip. The flow of debris from the A83 and accompanying water flow from Tuesday’s heavy rain caused significant scouring to the embankment slope below the A83, which undermined the road and demolished the roadside safety barrier. For safety the road and OMR remained closed.
• On Thursday 6 August a further 100 tonnes of material reached the carriageway overnight via the steep channel scoured out by Tuesday’s landslip, exposing large boulders. Teams worked to make these boulders safe using water-bags dropped into position from a helicopter as well as using a high-pressured hydraulic ‘jack’ to force the boulders into a new, safer position further down the steep channel.
• Teams completed the clear-up of 2,000 tonnes of debris from the OMR on Friday 7 August and began work to construct a protective bund and channel parallel to the roadside.
• The Old Military Road was opened under convoy operations as a local diversion route 24 hours a day on Saturday 8 August at 9:15am.
• Weather Warnings for heavy rain overnight on Monday 10 August, Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday 12 August meant the OMR closed overnight from 9pm, with motorists diverted via the usual standard diversion route on the A83, A82, A85 and A819.
• A period of dry weather meant the OMR was in use 24 hours a day from Thursday 13 August while teams continued with repairs to the A83.
• Designs to repair the A83 were completed and work started on stabilising the embankment beneath the carriageway. To view a simulation of the repairs visit BEAR Scotland’s North West twitter page: https://twitter.com/NWTrunkRoads/status/1293910456235483142
• On Tuesday 18 August a Yellow Met Office weather warning for heavy rain meant the OMR was closed for safety from 12 noon until 6am on Thursday 19 August. More heavy rain forecast overnight on Wednesday 19 August meant the OMR closed overnight between 9pm and 6am.
• Increasingly heavy rain on Thursday 20 August meant the OMR closed from 7.25pm until around midday on Friday 21 August. The route was in operation until midnight when it closed for safety due to forecast heavy rain overnight.
• On Saturday 22 August the OMR opened around 8.30am but closed shortly after at around 10.30am due to movement of debris and boulders on hillside.
• On Sunday 23 August work was undertaken to stabilise boulders on the hillside which allowed the Old Military Road to reopen at around 6pm.
• The Old Military Road continued to be in use 24/7 and with teams working round the clock to complete the programme of repairs on the A83.
• The A83 reopened under traffic light control at around 10.25am on Monday 7 September.
• The A83 and OMR were closed on Saturday 12 September due to forecast intense rain. This triggered another landslide which brought over 2,000 tonnes of material to the A83 with some reaching the OMR. The debris flows continued throughout Sunday making it difficult to assess the area or begin clear-up operations.
• Teams began clearing up the second landslip on Monday 14 September.
• A total of 5,000 tonnes of material is thought to have reached the A83 and OMR from the second landslip.
• The OMR local diversion route reopened at 6.10am Tuesday 15 September.
• The local diversion route was closed overnight Tuesday 15 September before reopening at 7.25am Wednesday morning and has since remained operational 24 hours a day.
• Repairs were completed on Wednesday morning with the A83 reopened under traffic light control around 7.35am. Teams are continuing to carry out further mitigation work in the area.

Tuesday 22 September – 2.45PM

A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL ON TRACK TO REOPEN UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL MID-MORNING TOMORROW SUBJECT TO WEATHER CONDITIONS

• Repair work nearing completion at Rest and Be Thankful

• Old Military Road to remain open as local diversion route overnight

Teams working to repair the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful are on track to reopen the road under traffic light control mid-morning tomorrow (Wednesday), subject to weather conditions in the area.

A safety review will take place tomorrow morning to assess if it is safe to reopen one lane of the A83 following a second major landslip in the area on Sunday 13 August. Teams will continue with work to complete further mitigation measures in the area once the road reopens.

Engineers have been working round the clock to complete a series of repairs and clear the material and debris from the road following the landslide. Today teams are working to re-erect the debris fencing next to the carriageway and clearing the remaining silt and material from the road ahead of the route reopening tomorrow.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re on track to safely reopen the road mid-morning tomorrow under traffic light control however we’ll continue to pay close attention to weather conditions.

“The Old Military Road will continue to be used as a local diversion route overnight until the road can be safely reopened following an inspection by our teams and Police Scotland.

“As ever we thank the local community and road users for their patience while we do everything we can to reopen the A83 quickly and safely. Argyll remains open for business and we’re working round the clock to address the situation at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Monday 21 September – 4.45PM

A83 SET TO REOPEN UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL ON WEDNESDAY WEATHER PERMITTING

• Repairs continue on A83

• Old Military Road to remain open overnight

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful is expected to reopen under traffic light control on Wednesday subject to weather conditions in the area.

Engineers are continuing to work 24/7 to repair the A83 following a major landslide earlier this month.

Today (Monday) teams have been progressing with work to reinstate the road safety barrier along the edge of the A83 and re-erect the temporary debris fence next to the steep channel above the road.

The Old Military Road will remain open as a local diversion route overnight for road users.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Repairs are progressing well and we’re expecting to reopen the A83 under traffic light control at some point on Wednesday although this will depend on progress on Tuesday when a period of heavy rain is forecast.

“Over the weekend engineers have worked to reinstate the road safety barrier and reinstall the debris catch-fence which is anchored along the A83 to provided additional resilience and protect road users.

“The OMR has been operating well as a local diversion route for road users over the last week and will continue to be in use overnight.

“Argyll remains very much open for business and as ever we thank road users and the local community for their continued patience while we do everything we can to address the most recent landslip at the Rest and reopen the road safely.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Friday 18 September – 3.30PM

REPAIR WORK CONTINUES AT REST AND BE THANKFUL

• Old Military Road to remain open Friday night

Engineers at the Rest and Be Thankful are progressing with repair work to the A83 carriageway after it was damaged by a major landslip on Sunday morning.

Clear up operations and drain cleaning have continued today in preparation for the installation of a catch fence and vehicle restraint systems over the weekend.

The Old Military Road local diversion route remains open for road users and will be in operation overnight tonight (Friday).  Teams are continuing to closely monitor weather conditions which will be reviewed on a daily basis to assess if it is safe to keep the OMR in operation.

Engineers will continue to work round the clock to complete the repairs to the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Today teams are continuing to clear debris and boulders and cleaning the road surface to allow access to erect barriers over the weekend.

“The Old Military Road has been operating well the past couple of days and will continue to be in use overnight tonight (Friday).  We’ll continue to assess the route on a daily basis to determine if it safe to remain in use for road users.

“Our teams will continue to work 24 hours a day to complete the repairs at the Rest.  As ever we thank the local community and all road users for their patience while we complete this programme of repairs.  Argyll remains open for business and we’ll continue to do everything we can to get the road open as quickly and safely as we can.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Thursday 17 September – 3:30PM

CLEARANCE WORK CONTINUES AT REST AND BE THANKFUL FOLLOWING LANDSLIDE

• Old Military Road to remain in use overnight on Thursday

The repair of damage to the A83 caused by a large landslip on Sunday morning is continuing today with good progress being made with clear up operations.

A short section of embankment supporting the road was eroded due to large volumes of water and debris washing over the edge of the road. Engineers have designed a repair and that is being implemented by the teams on site today (Thursday) and tomorrow.

Now that much of the debris has been removed a clearer view of all the work required to reopen the road is now possible. Teams plan on undertaking the repairs 24 hours a day to reopen the road as quickly as possible. Early indications are that the work to reopen should be completed around the middle of next week, subject to weather conditions.

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to remain in use overnight tonight (Thursday 17 September).  The route will be reviewed on a daily basis paying close attention to the weather forecast to see if it will remain safe to reopen overnight.   Strict safety protocols are in place which allow teams to continue to keep the diversion route in operation throughout the night.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Teams are making good progress on site with clear up and repair works which has enabled further assessments to be carried out to determine the extent of the damage caused by the recent landslip.

“Initial assessments indicate that the work should be completed around the middle of next week, depending on weather and other developments.

“The Old Military Road will remain in use tonight, however we’ll be continually assessing and monitoring the hillside along with our geotechnical specialists to determine if it is safe for us to continue to keep the OMR in operation.

“We thank the local community and road users for their patience while we address the landslip at the Rest.  Argyll remains open for business and our teams will continue to work around the clock to reopen the A83 as quickly and safely as we can.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 16 September – 3PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE TO REMAIN IN USE OVERNIGHT

• Teams progressing with clear up operations on the A83

• Investigations underway to assess damage to the carriageway

Good progress has been made with the clearance of material and boulders from the carriageway following the landslide on Sunday 13 September at the A83 Rest and be Thankful.

The Old Military Road local diversion route opened at 7:25am this morning and is currently planned to remain open overnight tonight (Wednesday).

The diversion route will be reviewed on a daily basis with teams closely monitoring conditions. Strict safety protocols are in place which allow the operation of the diversion route overnight.

As a safety precaution the A83 was closed on Saturday afternoon due to forecast heavy rain in the area. A significant landslip then occurred early Sunday morning and continued until Monday. Over 5,000 tonnes of material reached the A83 main carriageway and the bunding on the OMR.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “With drier weather expected overnight we’re intending to keep the Old Military Road open into this evening and overnight however teams will be closely monitoring conditions in the area.

“We are making good progress with the clear up operations on the A83, moving rock and debris to a local tip and making use of boulders in the repair work.

“We have teams working 24/7 to enable us to reopen the route as soon as possible.

“Argyll remains open for business and we thank the local community and road users for their patience as we do everything we can to address the landslip.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 16 September – 7:30am

OLD MILITARY ROAD REOPENS FOLLOWING THE GREEN LIGHT FROM SAFETY INSPECTIONS

The Old Military Road reopened this morning around 7:25am following successful green light from safety checks.  Teams are continuing with work to clear material and boulders from the A83 main carriageway.

An assessment will be made at 1pm regarding the potential of keeping the OMR open overnight and an announcement made.

Tuesday 15 September – 3:25PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD TO CLOSE OVERNIGHT AT 7.30PM AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION

• OMR Local diversion route has been in operation today but will close overnight as a precaution

• The local diversion route is expected to reopen tomorrow (Wednesday) morning following a safety assessment

• Diversion route via A83, A82, A85 and A819 will be implemented overnight from 7.30pm

Work continues to progress with the clearance of debris from the main A83 carriageway following the landslide on Sunday 13 September. After initial review it is now estimated that over 5,000 tonnes of material reached the A83 and Old Military Road bund.

The route reopened via the Old Military Road (OMR) local diversion this morning and has been in operation throughout today following the completion of the clear up of material in that location overnight.

As a safety precaution, the Old Military Road is to be closed overnight tonight (Tuesday 15 September) from 7.30pm due to conditions on the hillside above the A83.

Teams have closely monitored the hillside today following rain and consider this to be the prudent approach.

All traffic will be diverted from 7.30pm on to the standard diversion route via the A83, A82, A85 and A819.

Safety assessments will take place from 7am tomorrow morning to determine if it is safe to reopen the OMR local diversion route.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Safety is our top priority and following input from geotechnical specialists we have taken the difficult decision

to close the Old Military Road as a precaution overnight tonight.

“The standard diversion route via the A83, A82, A85 and A819 will be reinstated from 7.30pm tonight. A full safety assessment will take place at 7am on Wednesday morning to assess if it is safe to reopen the Old Military Road.

“The clear up operation is progressing well which is allowing us to gauge the damage caused to the road, drainage and safety barriers. We will continue to give updates on this work as it progresses as quickly as possible.

“Safety has to come first and as ever we thank the local community and road users for their patience while we address the situation at the Rest.  Argyll remains very much open for business and we ask road users to plan their journey in advance by checking Traffic Scotland for the real-time travel information.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Tuesday 15 September – 6.10am

Monday 14 September – 12:00 Mid-day

A83 AND OLD MILITARY ROAD REMAINS CLOSED FOLLOWING SECOND LANDSLIDE AT REST AND BE THANKFUL

• Over 2,000 Tonnes of material has closed the A83

• Clearance works ongoing

The A83 and the Old Military Road (OMR) local diversion will remain closed today and overnight into Tuesday 15 September following a landslide event which commenced early on Sunday morning and continued through to Monday morning. Clearance of the debris has now started after the go-ahead from geotechnical engineers.

As well as over 2,000 Tonnes of material on the A83, further material has also reached the bunding previously formed to protect the Old Military Road with some boulders and material reaching the OMR itself.

Initial indications are that the wall constructed to support the A83 following the landslide on the Tuesday 4 August has performed well and is relatively undamaged.

These clearance works will continue throughout the day, particularly the removal of boulders and slurry which still have the potential to impact the OMR. A further review will be undertaken on Tuesday morning when a clearer indication will be given as to the reopening of the OMR and the A83.

In the meantime, traffic is diverted via the A82, A85 and A819. To assist, Western Ferries are providing an extra ferry on the Gourock to Dunoon route.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “With exceptionally heavy rain forecast on Saturday night and Sunday morning we took the decision to proactively close the A83 and OMR on safety grounds. Around 75mm of rain fell in a few hours in the early hours of Sunday which triggered another significant landslide at the same location as the event on the Tuesday 4  August. Much of this was caught in the temporary debris fence and debris pits however as the landslide event continued throughout Sunday those measures were overtopped onto the A83 with some reaching the OMR. In drier conditions today we have started the clear up operation which will continue throughout today. Tomorrow morning (Tuesday 15 September) we will review progress and advise on the potential for reopening the Old Military Road local diversion and also have a clearer view of the work required to reopen the A83.

“As ever, we thank the local community for their patience while we deal with this unprecedented situation. Argyll, of course,  remains open for business via the diversion route and via the extended Dunoon to Gourock ferry services.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland and the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Sunday 13 September – 2PM

A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL AND OLD MILITARY ROAD TO REMAIN CLOSED OVERNIGHT SUNDAY

• A significant landslide has blocked the A83 at Rest and be Thankful

• The on-going nature of this means the Old Military Road local diversion also remains closed.

• Traffic diversion will remain via A82, A85 and A819

• Western Ferries are running an extra service tonight and Monday morning

The A83 Rest and be Thankful and Old Military Road (OMR) will both remain closed overnight on Sunday [13 Sept] following a significant landslide early on Sunday morning. The A83 and OMR were both closed overnight due to concern at the forecast of up to 90mmof intense rain on high ground in Argyll.  At 7am on Sunday, a safety inspection noted that over 1,000 Tonnes of material had come down the hillside at the same location as the August 4^thlandslip. Much of this was retained in the temporary mitigation measures including a pit and rockfall barrier. However, heavy rain and further slippages have continued throughout the day and is expected to continue into the early evening when the rain passes. This has precluded the undertaking a full geotechnical safety assessment, looking at the dangers of potential further slippage and boulder risk.

The A83 and OMR will therefore remain closed overnight and a further safety review will be undertaken on Monday morning. In the meantime, traffic will be diverted onto the A82, A85, A819 diversion route.

BEAR Scotland has been communicating with Western Ferries and they will have an extra ferry running on Sunday night and Monday morning.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “This is another major landslide event and the on-going nature of it and the continued heavy rain has meant we are unable to conclude a full safety assessment. In discussion with Transport Scotland and Police Scotland a decision has been taken to keep the A83 Rest and Be Thankful and the Old Military Road closed overnight, with traffic diverted to the longer diversion via the A82, A85 and A819. We appreciate the frustration and disruption this causes, however, given the nature of this event, a safety-first approach is required.

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Saturday 12 September – 2.00PM

BEAR SCOTLAND TEAMS ON STANDBY FOR HEAVY RAINFALL THIS WEEKEND – A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL TO CLOSE OVERNIGHT

• Yellow weather warning for rain over Argyll and West Highland area

• Up to 90mm rain expected overnight on Saturday evening to midnight on Sunday

• A83 Rest and Be Thankful to close overnight on Saturday as a safety precaution

• Old Military Road to resume operation as A83 local diversion route from Saturday afternoon 4pm to 9pm

BEAR Scotland teams are on standby for heavy rain across the north west of Scotland this weekend with up to 90mm of rain now forecast across some areas of the network.

A Met Office yellow weather warning for heavy rain is in force from 6pm Saturday to midnight on Sunday and teams are on high alert to respond to any incidents.  Strong winds are also expected across the network with localised gusts of between 40-50mph forecast with landscaping teams on standby to assist with any fallen trees.

The decision has been taken to close the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful at 4pm Saturday.  From 4pm until 9pm on Saturday traffic will be transferred to the Old Military Road (OMR) local Diversion. The OMR will then be closed from 9pm Saturday and a safety inspection will be undertaken at 7am on Sunday with a view to reopening the OMR if considered safe to do so. The A83 is hoped to be reopened in the early afternoon on Sunday once the rain has passed.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:  “The yellow warning for heavy rain and high wind is expected to have an impact on the north west trunk road network, and our teams are on standby to deal with any issues that may occur from the heavy rain and strong winds.

“Due to the heavy rain we’ve also taken the difficult decision to close the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful at 4pm Saturday as a safety precaution following the recent landslide.  From 4pm to 9pm the Old Military Road local diversion route will be utilised. During the most intense period of rain from 9pm Saturday the OMR will close, with traffic diverted to the longer diversion via the A82, A85 and A819.

“The advice from our geotechnical experts is that the heavy rain, which is now anticipated to be heavier and more intense than forecast yesterday, could have an impact on the material in the steep channel above the road. This is the first significant rain event since the landslide in August so we are taking a safety-first approach and will carefully monitor the hillside during the weather event.

“We’ll review the situation at 7am on Sunday with a view to reopening the OMR and, all being well, we are expecting to reopen the A83 under traffic light control on Sunday afternoon once the rain has passed.

“We have arranged for patrols of the network to be completed at affected areas through the warning period and we also have our incident response teams available to deal with any flooding issues across the north west network, as well as gully tankers and pumps on standby to help ensure trunk roads are kept clear.

“Our 24/7 control room team will also be monitoring conditions across the network to help coordinate resource where required and help keep motorists moving.

“We encourage all road users to plan ahead and check Traffic Scotland for the latest travel advice before setting out.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Friday 11 September, 3.15pm

Monday 7 September, 10.30AM

A83 REOPENS AT REST AND BE THANKFUL UNDER TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL AFTER MAJOR REPAIR OPERATION COMPLETED

• Teams continue with mitigation work on hillside

• Next catch-pit project underway

The A83 has reopened under traffic light control after a major programme of complex repairs was completed this morning.

The route was inspected by Police Scotland and geotechnical specialists for a final safety check before reopening at around 10.25am today.

Temporary traffic lights will remain in place for safety as engineers are continuing with work to construct further mitigation measures.

A temporary debris barrier has been erected to protect road users and a catch-pit is being excavated at the foot of the channel to provide further resilience on the route. Work is already underway at the next location for another catch-pit which is located immediately adjacent to the recently completed catch-pits in July 2019.

The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful was closed on the evening of Tuesday 4 August after a major landslip impacted the road at multiple locations after around 100mm of rain fell in the area. The source of the landslip was located around 200m high above the A83, which split into two main channels as it spread out in a “fan effect” down the hillside. Around 2,000 tonnes of debris was prevented from reaching the carriageway after it was contained in one of the catch-pits, with around 1,500 tonnes impacting the A83 and a further 2,000 tonnes of material washing onto the Old Military Road. In total, around 10,000 tonnes of material was thought to have moved on the hillside during the landslip.

Large boulders were also exposed on the hillside during the landslip, with a helicopter brought in to help stabilise the boulders and make them safe.

Clear-up operations started immediately with teams safely enabling the use of the Old Military Road as a local diversion route from Saturday 7 August. The route continued to be used as a diversion route when weather conditions allowed while teams progressed with the repair work.

The A83 carriageway, hillside above and embankment below the road were severely impacted by the flow of debris and water during the landslip, requiring extensive complex repairs. Repairs included constructing a new culvert beneath the road as well as installing a new concrete retaining wall which was anchored to the ground using multiple eight-metre-long rods to stabilise the road.

Work was also carried out to stabilise and secure the hillside above the carriageway. A new road safety barrier and roadside drainage system was also installed on the road with the carriageway then resurfaced to allow vehicles to safety pass.

A team of around 50 personnel worked 24/7 to complete the programme of repairs, keep the Old Military Road running safely and manage the traffic on the A83 to keep Argyll open.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re pleased to safely reopen one lane of the A83 after a full safety assessment with representatives from Police Scotland this morning.

“Teams from multiple organisations have worked round the clock in all conditions to complete the programme of complex repairs in the area and keep the Old Military Road and other routes into Argyll open.

“Engineers will continue to carry out further mitigation work on the hillside above the road as well as at the next catch-pit location to provide further landslip resilience on the A83.

“As ever, we thank the local community for their patience and support while we worked to address the repairs at the Rest and encourage them to drive safely through the Rest and Be Thankful as teams complete the remaining mitigation work at the site.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland and the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

What Has Happened at the Rest and Be Thankful?

• A large landslide occurred on the evening of Tuesday 4 August at the Rest and Be Thankful blocking the road after around 100mm of rain fell in the Argyll area.
• The source of the landslip was located around 200m high above the A83, which split into two main channels as it spread out in a “fan effect” down the hillside. One of the channels filtered into one of the landslip mitigation catch-pits which prevented around 2,000 tonnes of material from reaching the road, with around 1,500 tonnes of debris reaching the carriageway at the second channel. Car-sized boulders also reached the roadside in the debris. A further 2,000 tonnes of material was washed onto the Old Military Road.
• In total, the landslide is thought to have moved around 10,000 tonnes of debris on the hillside following detailed geotechnical calculations of the hillside, making it one of the largest landslips in recent times. Earlier estimates put the original figure at 6,000 tonnes.
• On Wednesday 5 August teams worked to begin the initial clear-up operations and carry out geotechnical assessments and safety investigations into the damage caused by the landslip. The flow of debris from the A83 and accompanying water flow from Tuesday’s heavy rain caused significant scouring to the embankment slope below the A83, which undermined the road and demolished the roadside safety barrier. For safety the road and OMR remained closed.
• On Thursday 6 August a further 100 tonnes of material reached the carriageway overnight via the steep channel scoured out by Tuesday’s landslip, exposing large boulders. Teams worked to make these boulders safe using water-bags dropped into position from a helicopter as well as using a high-pressured hydraulic ‘jack’ to force the boulders into a new, safer position further down the steep channel.
• Teams completed the clear-up of 2,000 tonnes of debris from the OMR on Friday 7 August and began work to construct a protective bund and channel parallel to the roadside.
• The Old Military Road was opened under convoy operations as a local diversion route 24 hours a day on Saturday 8 August at 9:15am.
• Weather Warnings for heavy rain overnight on Monday 10 August, Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday 12 August meant the OMR closed overnight from 9pm, with motorists diverted via the usual standard diversion route on the A83, A82, A85 and A819.
• A period of dry weather meant the OMR was in use 24 hours a day from Thursday 13 August while teams continued with repairs to the A83.
• Designs to repair the A83 are complete and work started on stabilising the embankment beneath the carriageway. To view a simulation of the repairs visit BEAR Scotland’s North West twitter page: https://twitter.com/NWTrunkRoads/status/1293910456235483142
• On Tuesday 18 August a Yellow Met Office weather warning for heavy rain meant the OMR was closed for safety from 12 noon until 6am on Thursday 19 August. More heavy rain forecast overnight on Wednesday 19 August meant the OMR closed overnight between 9pm and 6am.
• Increasingly heavy rain on Thursday 20 August meant the OMR closed from 7.25pm until around midday on Friday 21 August. The route was in operation until midnight when it closed for safety due to forecast heavy rain overnight.
• On Saturday 22 August the OMR opened around 8.30am but closed shortly after at around 10.30am due to movement of debris and boulders on hillside.
• On Sunday 23 August work was undertaken to stabilise boulders on the hillside which allowed the Old Military Road to reopen at around 6pm.
• The Old Military Road continued to be in use 24/7 and with teams working round the clock to complete the programme of repairs on the A83.
• The A83 reopened under traffic light control at around 10.25am on Monday 7 September. Teams are continuing to carry out further mitigation work in the area.

Friday 4 September – 4.45PM

Thursday 3 September – 4.00PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD TO CONTINUE AS LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE OVERNIGHT AS TEAMS PROGRESS WITH REPAIR WORK ON A83

The Old Military Road will remain in operation as a local diversion route overnight on Thursday with engineers working to stabilise and clear the A83 ahead of reopening early next week.

Teams have been working to carry out further stability and mitigation work to the upslope of the A83 on the steep channel which was formed by a major landslip in August. Additional work is also being carried out on the carriageway to improve the roadside drainage.

The repairs are progressing well with teams on track to reopen the road under traffic light control on Monday pending favourable weather conditions. Teams will continue to work in the area once the A83 has opened to progress with installation of a catch-pit at the bottom of the steep channel as well as begin installation of the next catch-pit further along the A83.

Teams on site from BEAR Scotland have also expressed thanks to a number of local road users who have stopped to provide kind donations of cakes and treats in recent weeks.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The Old Military Road will remain open overnight tonight and is operating well as a local diversion route for road users.

“We’re on track to reopen one lane of the A83 on Monday and teams are progressing with repairs 24-hours a day to complete the work as planned, provided the weather conditions continue to remain favourable.

“We also want to express our thanks to a number of road users recently for their generous acts of kindness to our teams on site. The teams were delighted to receive cakes and other treats from some members of the local community and these kind gestures were very much appreciated by all.

“As ever, we thank the local community and road users for their continued patience while we do everything we can to reopen the A83 safely. Argyll remains open for business and we’ll continue to work 24/7 to address the incident at the Rest.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland and the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

What Has Happened at the Rest and Be Thankful?

• A large landslide occurred on the evening of Tuesday 4 August at the Rest and Be Thankful blocking the road after around 100mm of rain fell in the Argyll area.
• The source of the landslip was located around 200m high above the A83, which split into two main channels as it spread out in a “fan effect” down the hillside. One of the channels filtered into one of the landslip mitigation catch-pits which prevented around 2,000 tonnes of material from reaching the road, with around 1,500 tonnes of debris reaching the carriageway at the second channel. Car-sized boulders also reached the roadside in the debris. A further 2,000 tonnes of material was washed onto the Old Military Road.
• In total, the landslide is thought to have moved around 10,000 tonnes of debris on the hillside following detailed geotechnical calculations of the hillside, making it one of the largest landslips in recent times. Earlier estimates put the original figure at 6,000 tonnes.
• On Wednesday 5 August teams worked to begin the initial clear-up operations and carry out geotechnical assessments and safety investigations into the damage caused by the landslip. The flow of debris from the A83 and accompanying water flow from Tuesday’s heavy rain caused significant scouring to the embankment slope below the A83, which undermined the road and demolished the roadside safety barrier. For safety the road and OMR remained closed.
• On Thursday 6 August a further 100 tonnes of material reached the carriageway overnight via the steep channel scoured out by Tuesday’s landslip, exposing large boulders. Teams worked to make these boulders safe using water-bags dropped into position from a helicopter as well as using a high-pressured hydraulic ‘jack’ to force the boulders into a new, safer position further down the steep channel.
• Teams completed the clear-up of 2,000 tonnes of debris from the OMR on Friday 7 August and began work to construct a protective bund and channel parallel to the roadside.
• The Old Military Road was opened under convoy operations as a local diversion route 24 hours a day on Saturday 8 August at 9:15am.
• Weather Warnings for heavy rain overnight on Monday 10 August, Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday 12 August meant the OMR closed overnight from 9pm, with motorists diverted via the usual standard diversion route on the A83, A82, A85 and A819.
• A period of dry weather meant the OMR was in use 24 hours a day from Thursday 13 August while teams continued with repairs to the A83.
• Designs to repair the A83 are complete and work started on stabilising the embankment beneath the carriageway. To view a simulation of the repairs visit BEAR Scotland’s North West twitter page: https://twitter.com/NWTrunkRoads/status/1293910456235483142
• On Tuesday 18 August a Yellow Met Office weather warning for heavy rain meant the OMR was closed for safety from 12 noon until 6am on Thursday 19 August. More heavy rain forecast overnight on Wednesday 19 August meant the OMR closed overnight between 9pm and 6am.
• Increasingly heavy rain on Thursday 20 August meant the OMR closed from 7.25pm until around midday on Friday 21 August. The route was in operation until midnight when it closed for safety due to forecast heavy rain overnight.
• On Saturday 22 August the OMR opened around 8.30am but closed shortly after at around 10.30am due to movement of debris and boulders on hillside.
• On Sunday 23 August work was undertaken to stabilise boulders on the hillside which allowed the Old Military Road to reopen at around 6pm.
• The Old Military Road has since been in use 24/7 and teams have since been working round the clock to complete the programme of repairs on the A83.

Wednesday 2 September – 4.10PM

COMPLEX REPAIRS ONGOING AT A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL
• Old Military Road remains in use with teams closely monitoring weather conditions

Complex repairs at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful are continuing today (Wednesday) with teams working around the clock to complete the programme of work.

Today teams are progressing with installing a new roadside drainage system with surfacing work now completed. Teams are also working on the new road safety barrier.

A band of heavy rain is forecast in the area throughout the day until later this evening. Geotechnical specialists are closely monitoring the hillside and weather conditions on site, with teams on standby to close the Old Military Road should the situation deteriorate.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re hoping to keep the Old Military Road open overnight but are keeping a close eye on the weather conditions.

“A band of heavy rain is moving in this afternoon into this evening and our geotechnical specialists are on site closely monitoring conditions in the area and any impact it may have.

“We’ll keep the OMR under close review overnight.

“Repairs on the A83 are progressing well despite the weather conditions on site today and teams are still on track to reopen the route under traffic light control early next week.

“In the meantime, Argyll remains open for business and we thank the local community and road users for their patience while we do everything we can to address the landslip at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Tuesday 1 September – 4.00PM

A83 REPAIRS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS WITH SURFACING WORK UNDERWAY

• A83 on track to reopen under traffic light control by Monday 7 September pending favourable weather conditions

• Old Military Road to remain in use overnight on Tuesday

Complex repairs at the A83 are making good progress with road resurfacing work underway.

The surfacing work covers the section of road which was excavated to install the new culvert system beneath the carriageway, with further work being carried out to the new road safety barrier and road edge beam to support and stabilise the road.

Teams are currently on track to reopen the A83 under traffic light control by Monday 7 September provided there are no significant weather delays.

Once repairs are complete one lane of the A83 will reopen with teams continuing with work to construct a temporary catch-pit at the base of the steep channel formed by the most recent landslip to provide further mitigation and protection for the A83.

Teams are also starting to mobilise for the next permanent catch-pit which will be constructed immediately next to the previous catch-pits which were completed in 2019. Together the measures will help provide further landslip resilience on the route.

The Old Military Road will remain open overnight on Tuesday providing a local diversion route for road users through Glen Croe as repairs continue on the A83.

A band of heavy rain is forecast for Wednesday afternoon and teams will be closely monitoring conditions in the area.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Teams are making good progress on site with the complex repairs at the A83. Today road surfacing work has taken place and teams are also continuing with the installation of the new road safety barrier and road edge beam.

“We’re closely monitoring the weather forecast and provided there are no significant issues we hope to reopen the route as planned by Monday.

“The Old Military Road will remain in use tonight. A band of heavy rain is forecast tomorrow afternoon and we’ll be continually assessing and monitoring the hillside along with our geotechnical specialists to determine if it is safe for us to continue to keep the OMR in operation.

“Once the A83 is reopened under traffic light control teams will continue with the construction of both the temporary catch-pit at the recently formed steep channel next to the A83 as well as at the next planned catch-pit located immediately next to the previously completed catch-pits at the Rest. This will help provide additional landslip resilience for the A83.

“We thank the local community and road users for their patience while we address the landslip at the Rest. Argyll remains open for business and our teams will continue to work around the clock to reopen the A83 as quickly and safely as we can.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Monday 31 August – 3.00PM

Friday 28 August – 4.45PM

COMPLEX REPAIR WORK CONTINUES AT REST AND BE THANKFUL

• Old Military Road to remain open Friday night

Engineers at the Rest and Be Thankful are progressing with complex repair work to the A83 carriageway after it was damaged by a major landslip earlier this month.

Today (Friday) teams have begun installing the new vehicle restraint system (VRS) barriers along the edge of the A83 carriageway.

Work continues on the recently constructed concrete retaining wall which will help stabilise the road and embankment.

The Old Military Road local diversion route remains open for road users and will be in operation overnight tonight (Friday). Teams are continuing to closely monitor weather conditions which will be reviewed on a daily basis to assess if it is safe to keep the OMR in operation.

Engineers will continue to work round the clock to complete the repairs to the A83.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Today teams are installing the foundations for the new vehicle restraint system barriers which replace the damaged section from the landslip earlier this month.

“Engineers are also working on the concrete retaining wall which has been constructed to support and stabilise the road and embankment next to the carriageway.

“The Old Military Road has been operating well this week and will continue to be in use overnight tonight (Friday). We’ll continue to assess the route on a daily basis to determine if it safe to remain in use for road users.

“Our teams will continue to work 24 hours a day to complete the repairs at the Rest. As ever we thank the local community and all road users for their patience while we complete this complex programme of repairs. Argyll remains open for business and we’ll continue to do everything we can to get the road open as quickly and safely as we can.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Thursday 27 August – 4.50PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD TO REMAIN OPEN ON THURSDAY NIGHT
• Repairs continue on A83 with road expected to reopen under traffic light control by Monday 7 September

The local diversion route via the Old Military Road at the Rest and Be Thankful is to remain open overnight tonight (Thursday) with teams closely monitoring weather conditions in the area.

Work continues to repair the A83 carriageway after it was damaged by a major landslip earlier this month. Engineers are today progressing with work to install a new edge beam along the side of the carriageway to provide further support for the new safety barrier system.

Teams are working towards reopening the A83 under traffic light operation by Monday 7 September, provided weather conditions continue to allow work to proceed as planned.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re working towards having the A83 safely reopened by Monday 7 September subject to favourable weather conditions with teams progressing with the complex repair work to restore the route following the landslip earlier this month.

“The Old Military Road will remain open overnight tonight with teams closely monitoring weather conditions. The local diversion route has been in operation 24 hours a day since Sunday evening with our teams reviewing the weather forecast on a daily basis for safety.

“We thank the local community and road users for their patience while we work to address the Rest and Be Thankful. Argyll remains open for business and teams are continuing to work 24/7 to ensure we’re doing everything we can to reopen the route as quickly and safely as possible.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficsotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 26 August – 4.50PM

REPAIRS CONTINUE ON A83 AS OLD MILITARY ROAD SET TO REMAIN IN USE OVERNIGHT

• Engineers working 24/7 to continue with programme of repairs

The local diversion route via the Old Military Road is set to remain in use overnight on Wednesday as engineers continue with repairs on the A83 carriageway.

Engineers have today (Wednesday) been pouring concrete for the new retaining wall which has been constructed to support the A83 carriageway above a new steep sided channel formed by the landslip earlier this month. A temporary catch-pit is also being created to provide extra mitigation on the road.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Teams are progressing with repairs on the A83 which will stabilise the road after it was undermined and badly damaged in the landslip earlier this month.

“Today teams have been able to pour the concrete into the newly constructed retaining wall which has been anchored into the ground to provide a solid foundation and support for the road and embankment following the landslip. Engineers will continue with the repairs 24/7 should weather conditions continue to allow.

“The Old Military Road has been operating well and we’re closely monitoring weather conditions to ensure it is safe for use. We’re intending to keep it open overnight into Thursday and will continue to assess the route on a daily basis.

“As ever, Argyll remains open for business and we thank the local community and road users for their patience while we work to complete these repairs at the Rest and Be Thankful.”

Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Tuesday 25 August – 4.50PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD LOCAL DIVERSION ROUTE TO REMAIN IN USE OVERNIGHT (TUESDAY) WITH TEAMS CLOSELY MONITORING WEATHER CONDITIONS

• Complex programme of repairs on A83 continues with teams working 24/7

The Old Military Road local diversion route is currently planned to remain open overnight (Tuesday) with teams closely monitoring the weather conditions in the area this evening and throughout the night.

Light rain showers are expected this evening and teams are on standby to close the Old Military Road for safety should conditions deteriorate in the area.

Teams are working to complete a programme of complex repairs on the A83 carriageway which include constructing a concrete wall to stabilise the carriageway and embankment. A temporary catch-pit will also be created to provide extra mitigation on the road.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re intending to keep the Old Military Road open into this evening and overnight however we’re keeping a close eye on weather conditions in the area.

“Some rain showers are forecast later this evening and teams will closely monitor these to assess if they are likely to have an impact on the Rest and Be Thankful. The OMR will be kept under close review overnight.

“Repairs are progressing on the A83 with teams working to complete the programme of work to enable us to reopen the route as soon as possible.

“Argyll remains open for business and we thank the local community and road users for their patience as we do everything we can to address the landslip at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Monday 24 August – 4PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD DIVERSION ROUTE WILL REMAIN OPEN OVERNIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY

• Road repair work continues 24/7 on the A83

• Old Military Road in operation today and throughout tonight

Work is continuing on complex repairs of the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful after a landslide on the Tuesday 4 August with teams working on the construction of a bored pile wall to support the road allowing it to re-open.

The Old Military Road (OMR) at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful has been in operation since 6pm Sunday evening and will remain in operation overnight whilst work continues 24/7.

It is intended that the OMR operation will continue into tomorrow, however heavy rain is forecast, and teams will be constantly monitoring and reviewing the safety of the OMR diversion route as necessary.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Work is continuing on the repair works to the A83 following some delay due to boulder risk over the weekend. The Old Military Road local diversion is operating well and will remain open overnight, however its operation will be kept under review through the forecast rain on Tuesday.”

“As ever we thank the local community and all road users while we do everything we can to repair the A83 after the recent landslip.  Argyll remains very much open for business and we advise all road users to plan their journey’s in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for information.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Sunday 23 August – 5.40PM

The Old Military Road has reopened following successful stabilisation of boulders on the hillside. The Old Military Road will continue to operate as a local diversion for the A83 throughout the night into Monday.

The Old Military Road has reopened following successful stabilisation of boulders on the hillside. The work, involving a helicopter, was successful in removing material around boulders allowing their managed descent down to points of safety. These were then drilled and broken up into smaller tabular sections.

The Old Military Road will continue to operate throughout the night into Monday.

Thank you for your patience through this difficult time.

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org<http://www.trafficscotland.org>, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Saturday 22 August – 7.30pm

Friday 21 August – 3.00PM

FORECAST HEAVY RAIN OVERNIGHT MEANS OLD MILITARY ROAD WILL CLOSE FROM MIDNIGHT

• Safety inspection to take place at 9am tomorrow (Saturday) ahead of potential reopening

• Reports of workforce at A83 closure points receiving abuse from members of public

The Old Military Road at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful is set to remain open until midnight tonight (Friday) when forecast heavy rain in the early hours of Saturday morning means it will close for the rest of the night.

A safety inspection is set to take place around 9am on Saturday morning to assess if the road will be safe to reopen.

The OMR closed overnight on Thursday and reopened around midday on Friday after heavy rain in the area.

Geotechnical specialists assessed the area and debris movements in the channels above the A83 before considering it safe to reopen.

The weather forecast and situation on site will continue to be assessed on a daily basis to consider if safe to run the local diversion route for motorists.

Teams are continuing with a programme of complex repairs to address the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful following a landslide on 4 August.

Reports of verbal abuse directed towards team members working on the closure points at the A83 have been received by motorists frustrated at not being able to pass through the closure area. Incidents have included threats and verbal abuse from road users directed towards staff who have had to reinstate the standard diversion route due to the OMR closing for safety. BEAR Scotland is reporting incidences to Police Scotland in a bid to resolve these events.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We reopened the OMR this afternoon around 12.20pm following a successful safety assessment by our geotechnical team after last night’s heavy rain.

“With more heavy rain forecast we have to close the OMR from 12 midnight tonight and will carry out a safety assessment around 9am tomorrow to consider if we can reopen.

“Whilst we appreciate the frustration this can cause, safety has to come first and we need to make sure that we keep all road users safe at all times. We’ll continue to review the weather forecast and situation at the Rest on a daily basis to consider if it is safe to reopen. Hopefully the later closure time tonight will help to accommodate the majority of travellers.

“We’ve also had reports of our teams receiving verbal abuse and threats from some motorists at the road closure points on the A83. This abuse will not be tolerated and we are already working closely with Police Scotland to investigate these incidences.

“Please respect our workforce who are only doing their job and working to keep all road users safe.

“In the meantime, Argyll remains open for business and we thank the local community and road users for their patience while we do everything we can to repair the A83 and safely reopen it as soon as we can.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Thursday 20 August – 8.30PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD NOW CLOSED DUE TO INCREASINGLY HEAVY RAIN

• All traffic being diverted via standard diversion route

The Old Military Road at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful has now closed for the day due to increasingly heavy rain on site.

Geotechnical specialists identified that increasingly heavy rain was creating debris movement in the channels above the road which prompted teams to close the OMR as a safety precaution.

All traffic is now being diverted via the standard diversion route of A83, A82, A85 and A819.

Heavy rain is forecast overnight with particularly heavy rain showers now forecast throughout tomorrow morning.

The safety inspection will now take place from 12 noon when a full assessment of the OMR and the surrounding hillside will be carried out. The OMR will remain closed until the green light is given from the safety inspections.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Increasingly heavy rain in the area this evening has forced us to close the Old Military Road earlier than anticipated for safety reasons after our teams who were monitoring the hillside identified debris movement in the steep channel above the A83.

“We’ve closed the local diversion road as a precaution and it will remain closed until a full safety inspection can take place tomorrow afternoon. Heavy rain is forecast overnight with particularly heavy rain now forecast until late morning tomorrow, so we need to ensure a thorough geotechnical assessment is completed before we can consider reopening.

“Geotechnical teams will be onsite from first light to monitor the situation on the hillside throughout the day.

“Safety remains our top priority and we will continue to do everything we can to address the situation at the rest.

“Argyll remains open for business and encourage road users to check for travel updates from Traffic Scotland.”

Real time travel information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Thursday 20 August – 10.45AM

FORECAST HEAVY RAIN PROMPTS CLOSURE OF OLD MILITARY ROAD FROM 9PM TO 9AM

The Old Military Road is set to close from 9pm overnight tonight (Thursday) until around 9am tomorrow after further heavy rain has been forecast for the Rest and Be Thankful area which has the potential to impact on the route.

The forecast indicates that heavy rain will develop early evening tonight (Thursday) until 9am, with particularly heavy rain from 6am to 9am. Around 30-40mm is expected to fall in the area across the next 24 hours.

All traffic will be diverted via the standard diversion route A83, A82, A85 and A819 from 9pm this evening. A full safety assessment will take place from 9am tomorrow morning which will assess if the local diversion route is safe to reopen. This will be undertaken earlier if weather permits.

Heavy rain has the potential to impact on the steep channels above and below the A83 carriageway, where loose debris and material is present following a major landslip in the area on 4 August.
Teams are working round the clock to carry out a programme of complex repairs on the A83 carriageway after it was damaged following the landslide.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’re paying close attention to the forecasts in order to ensure if it is safe for us to keep the Old Military Road open for road users given the presence of loose debris in the steep channels on the hillside.

“Heavy rain is developing overnight with particularly heavy rain tomorrow morning until 9am. For safety the OMR will close from 9pm until 9am, when we’ll reassess the route to check if it is safe to reopen.

“We understand the frustration in closing the OMR however we need to put safety of road users first. We’ll continue to monitor the hillside and the conditions in the area and do all we can to open the OMR as soon as we can tomorrow morning once the safety assessment following the heavy rain is complete.

“Argyll remains open for business and as ever we thank the local community and road users for their patience and assure them we’re working hard to get the A83 open as quickly and safely as possible.”
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland, or my.trafficscotland.org.

Wednesday 19 August – 11.30am

OLD MILITARY ROAD TO CLOSE FROM 9PM DUE TO HEAVY RAIN FORECAST OVERNIGHT

• Further heavy rain forecast for Wednesday night prompts local diversion route to close as a precaution

• All traffic will be diverted via standard diversion route

• Full safety assessment to take place at first light tomorrow morning (Thursday) before route can be given green light to open

The Old Military Road will close overnight from 9pm tonight (Wednesday) as further heavy rain is forecast which has the potential to impact the Rest and Be Thankful.

The forecast indicates that short bursts of intense rain is expected overnight which has the potential to affect the hillside.

Safety measures are in place to monitor the hillside however these are restricted during the hours of darkness, with the decision taken to close the local diversion route overnight to ensure the safety of road users.

The standard diversion route will be implemented from 9pm via the A83, A82, A85 and A819 for all traffic.

Teams are progressing with the complex repairs on the A83 following a large landslip which occurred on 4 August. The landslip caused significant damage to the carriageway and embankments above and below the road. Teams have been working round the clock to progress the repairs which include constructing concrete retaining walls on the recently formed steep channels to help stabilise the embankment, installing a new culvert beneath the A83 and installing a temporary catch-pit next to the road side to provide further mitigation in the area.

Following some concerns from local businesses, our teams will also rearrange the road signs at Tarbet to further highlight that businesses in the area remain open to the public when the standard diversion is implemented.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “Further heavy rain is forecast this evening which has the potential to impact on the Rest and Be Thankful.

“We have to prioritise safety of motorists at all times and given it is difficult for us to effectively monitor the hillside in darkness we have had to take the difficult decision to close the OMR overnight tonight for safety.

“All traffic will be diverted via the standard diversion route overnight from 9pm. We’ll assess the road with our geotechnical specialists at first light tomorrow morning (Thursday) and consider if it is safe to reopen to road users.

“We’ve also taken steps to rearrange the road signs at Tarbet to further highlight that businesses remain open to the public. We will continue to work with the local community and do all we can to assist them while our teams work round the clock to get the A83 reopen safely.

“Argyll remains open for business and ever we thank the local community and road users for their patience while we address the landslip at the Rest.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

OLD MILITARY ROAD TO CLOSE AT MIDDAY DUE TO FORECAST HEAVY RAIN

– Road to close as a safety precaution after yellow heavy rain warning issued

– All traffic will be diverted via standard diversion route from 12 noon

– Safety assessment to take place at first light tomorrow morning (Wednesday) ahead of potential reopening

The Old Military Road is set to close from 12 noon today as a safety precaution due to forecast heavy rain in the area.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for heavy rain across most of Scotland from 1pm until 9pm this evening. The forecast indicates sporadic heavy bursts of showers of up to 30mm of rain which has the potential to affect the Rest and Be Thankful.

A safety check will take place at first light tomorrow morning (Wednesday) to assess the route before reopening the local diversion as before.

A large landslip impacted the A83 and embankments above and below the road on 4 August which teams have been working round the clock to repair. Geotechnical specialists have assessed the area and a large amount of loose debris is still present in the steep channels above and below the A83 which has the potential to become dislodged should a period of heavy rain occur.

For safety the OMR will close and all traffic will be diverted via the A83, A82, A85 and A819. Western Ferries is available as an alternative travel option for motorists with sailings between Dunoon and Gourock.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We’ve been paying close attention to the weather forecast and advice from our geotechnical specialists and the safest option is to close the Old Military Road given the potential for heavy rain in the area.

“Safety has to come first and with loose debris present in the steep channels above and below the A83 carriageway we have taken the difficult decision to close the local diversion road for safety.

“All traffic will be diverted via the standard diversion route of the A83, A82, A85 and A819 from midday. We will assess the area again at first light tomorrow with the hope of reopening the road early tomorrow morning following the green light from safety checks.

“We thank the local community and road users for their patience while we do everything we can to address the landslip at the Rest and Be Thankful.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org or twitter at @trafficscotland.

Monday 17 August – 2.45PM

REPAIRS ONGOING AT A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL

• Old Military Road local diversion to temporarily close overnight tonight (Monday) between midnight and 4am for surfacing repairs

Complex repair work at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful is continuing with teams beginning work on excavating a new culvert beneath the A83.

Teams have been working 24 hours a day to complete the programme of repairs after designs to safely restore the road and embankments were completed last week.

A major landslip on 4 August impacted the road and embankment above and below the carriageway with teams working through a series of engineering solutions to stabilise the road and embankments to allow the route to safely reopen under traffic light control.

The Old Military Road has been in use as a local diversion 24 hours a day since Thursday.  The route will temporarily close overnight tonight between midnight and 4am to allow teams to address one of the bends on the road which is in need of repair. The diversion road will remain open outwith these times.

A Met Office Yellow warning for heavy rain has been issued across parts of Scotland from 1pm until 9pm tomorrow afternoon, and teams will be closely monitoring the weather forecast to see if it will impact on the Rest and Be Thankful.  The decision as to whether the Old Military Road will remain open overnight on Tuesday will be determined tomorrow.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:  “Teams have worked continuously over the weekend to carry out repairs to the A83, with work beginning on installing the culvert beneath the A83.

“The Old Military Road has been operating well as a local diversion route but will close for a short four hour period overnight tonight to allow us to safely resurface a small section of the route at one of the sharp bends which will ensure it remains safe for road users.

“We’ve arranged for this to take place between midnight and 4am when traffic volumes are at their lowest to reduce disruption as much as possible.  All traffic will be directed towards the standard diversion route via the A83, A82, A85 and A819 during this time.

“Safety remains our top priority and we’re paying close attention to the weather forecast given tomorrow’s weather warnings for heavy rain across parts of Scotland. We’ll take a decision tomorrow as to whether the OMR can safely remain open on Tuesday night.

“As ever we thank the local community and all road users while we do everything we can to repair the A83 after last week’s landslip.  Argyll remains very much open for business and we advise all road users to plan their journey’s in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for information.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Saturday 15 August -12:30pm 

REPAIR WORK CONTINUES AT A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL

• Old Military Road to remain open overnight on Saturday night

• Piling works continue around the clock on the complex A83 repair

Repair work is continuing on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful around the clock after a major landslide impacted the carriageway on the 4th August.

A programme of complex repairs to the embankment above and below the road as well as work to stabilise the carriageway is underway which is expected to take up to three weeks to complete. Work is continuing on the construction of a bored pile wall to support the road.  A temporary catch-pit is also being installed next to the roadside and preparatory work for this this has also commenced.

Once repairs are complete the A83 will be able to reopen under traffic light control.

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to remain in use overnight on Saturday for road users.  The route will be reviewed on a daily basis paying close attention to the weather forecast to see if it will remain safe to reopen overnight.   Strict safety protocols are in place which allow teams to continue to keep the diversion route in operation throughout the night.

The A83 has been closed since Tuesday 4 August due to a large landslip which impacted the road.  The carriageway has been undermined due to large volumes of water and debris washing material from beneath the road and the supporting embankment.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:  “Teams are making good progress with the repairs on the A83 following the landslip.

“Today teams are continuing to install piles for the installation to form a concrete retaining wall which will support the road across the damaged section.

“Teams will work 24/7 to allow us to reopen the A83 as quickly and safely as possible.

“The Old Military Road is in use as a local diversion road for motorists and will be used overnight tonight (Saturday).  We’ll continue to assess the weather forecast on a daily basis to determine if it is safe to keep the route open overnight.

“We thank all road users and the local community while we do everything we can to repair the A83 after last week’s landslip.  Argyll remains very much open for business and we advise all road users to plan their journey’s in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for information.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

REPAIR WORK CONTINUES AT A83 REST AND BE THANKFUL

• Old Military Road to remain open overnight on Friday night

Repair work is continuing on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful after a major landslide impacted the carriageway last week.

A programme of complex repairs to the embankment above and below the road as well as work to stabilise the carriageway is underway which is expected to take up to three weeks to complete. Work has already started on stabilising the sheer face formed below the road by the wash out. A sprayed reinforced concrete face has been formed and this has been tied back to underlying rock with eight metre long rods.

A temporary catch-pit is also being installed next to the roadside below the recently formed steep channel which will help provide additional resilience for the A83.

Once repairs are complete the A83 will be able to reopen under traffic light control.  Teams are carrying out the repairs 24/7 to enable to the road to be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so.

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to remain in use overnight on Friday for road users.  The route will be reviewed on a daily basis paying close attention to the weather forecast to see if it will remain safe to reopen overnight.   Strict safety protocols are in place which allow teams to continue to keep the diversion route in operation throughout the night.

The A83 has been closed since last Tuesday due to a large landslip which impacted the road.  The carriageway has been undermined due to large volumes of water and debris washing material from beneath the road and the supporting embankment.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:  “Teams are making good progress with the repairs on the A83 following last week’s landslip.

“Today teams have started to drill for the installation of piles to form a concrete retaining wall which will support the road across the damaged section.

“Teams will work 24/7 to allow us to reopen the A83 as quickly and safely as possible.

“The Old Military Road is in use as a local diversion road for motorists and will be used overnight tonight (Friday).  We’ll continue to assess the weather forecast on a daily basis to determine if it is safe to keep the route open overnight.

“We thank all road users and the local community while we do everything we can to repair the A83 after last week’s landslip.  Argyll remains very much open for business and we advise all road users to plan their journey’s in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for information.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

Thursday 13 August – 2.45PM

OLD MILITARY ROAD TO REMAIN OPEN OVERNIGHT

• Teams progressing with repairs to the A83 and embankment

• Programme of repairs estimated to take up to three weeks to complete before A83 can safely reopen under one lane

The Old Military Road local diversion route is to remain open overnight tonight (Thursday) after teams have carried out safety assessments of the slope above the A83.

The route will be reviewed on a daily basis paying close attention to the weather forecast to see if it will remain safe to reopen overnight.   Strict safety protocols are in place which allow teams to continue to keep the diversion route open overnight.

A series of Met Office weather warnings in recent days had prompted the route to close overnight as a safety precaution.

The A83 has been closed since last Tuesday due to a large landslip which impacted the road.  The carriageway has been undermined due to large volumes of water and debris washing material from beneath the road and the supporting embankment.  A programme of repairs has now been drawn up after teams have completed designs which will allow the A83 to safely reopen under traffic light control once work is complete.

The programme of repairs includes the construction of a concrete wall to support the road as well as a culvert to carry water under the road.  A new temporary catch-pit will be installed at the foot of the recently formed steep channel above the roadside to help provide extra mitigation in the area.  Work has already started on stabilising the sheer face formed below the road by the wash out. A sprayed reinforced concrete face has been formed and this has been tied back to underlying rock with eight metre long rods.

The complex repairs are expected to take up to three weeks to complete, subject to weather conditions and no unexpected issues on site.  Teams plan on undertaking the repairs 24 hours a day to complete the project in the shortest possible timescale.

Once works are complete the A83 will be able to reopen under traffic light control.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:  “The Old Military Road will remain open tonight after reviewing all safety procedures and close scrutiny of the weather forecast overnight indicates that it will be safe for us to allow traffic through during darkness.

“We’ve concluded designs to allow us to safely repair the A83 following last week’s landslip.

“The repairs involve complex engineering methods which involve stabilising the recently formed steep channels on the embankments above and below the carriageway, as well as repairing the road which was heavily damaged by the landslip.  A catch-pit will also be installed to help provide additional mitigation for the A83.

“With good weather and no unforeseen circumstances we expect these repairs will take up to three weeks to complete, and our teams will work 24 hours a day to get the repairs completed as quickly as we can to allow the A83 to safely reopen.

“We thank all road users and the local community while we do everything we can to repair the A83 after last week’s landslip.  Argyll remains open for business and we advise all road users to plan their journey’s in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for information.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.

 
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