The first quarter of the year brought no shortage of challenges, with winter weather putting our works programmes to the test. Despite this, teams across the North West continued to make steady progress, delivering essential improvements across the trunk road network.

With an investment of over £37m from Transport Scotland, the past three months have seen a wide range of works completed, from structural repairs and safety upgrades to ongoing maintenance and drainage enhancements, to keep routes safe, reliable and resilient. Read on for an overview of the activity delivered between January and March, highlighting how our teams have kept the network moving in the face of some demanding seasonal conditions.

Masonry makeovers
A trio of bridges on the A82 near Loch Lomond that were damaged by vehicle impacts have now been fully repaired. Each parapet section was carefully rebuilt to its original dimensions, restoring both structural integrity and the intended appearance of the route’s roadside infrastructure. These repairs ensure the A82 continues to provide safe, reliable passage for all road users.

Overcoming barriers
Works to replace the safety barriers on the A82 north of Luss have now been completed, improving safety standards. The project involved removing the deteriorated barriers on both verges and installing new barriers, closing historic gaps, extending protection where needed and fitting modern terminals to replace the original end units. These improvements provide a more robust and reliable barrier system for all road users.

Similarly, teams have also been progressing work to improve accessibility on the A85 between Perth and Lochty. This includes replacing damaged kerbs and resurfacing sections of the footway. Enhancements to support public transport are also underway, with new bus shelters, raised kerbs and refreshed bus stop markings helping to make travelling by public transport safer and more convenient for passengers.

Safety improvements have also been delivered on the A9 between Luncarty and Bankfoot, with the installation of new safety barriers completed in March. The works provide additional protection between the carriageway and nearby cycle paths on both sides of the road, improving safety for all users. Delivered following a request from a member of the public, the scheme demonstrates our ongoing commitment to listening to feedback and working collaboratively to make practical improvements where they are identified.

Rolling with winter challenges
The colder months have been unrelenting for our Planned Maintenance team, with lower temperatures, persistent rainfall and frequent weather warnings all putting pressure on our works activities. Despite these conditions, perseverance has once again paid off. The period saw 14,720 metres of resurfacing completed across key routes including the A835, A82, A85, A9 and A83, making our roads more resilient and reliable.

Across the trunk road network, our teams have pushed through to deliver this substantial volume of work. On the A85 at Madderty, River Awe and Dalmally, for example, crews safely completed over 2.8km of resurfacing to a high standard. Similar dedication was shown on sections of the A9 where teams worked around poor conditions to resurface more than 4.3km of road. Together, these efforts reflect the determination and resilience of staff who have kept essential maintenance on track, even when the weather seemed determined to slow things down.

Flow control
Routine maintenance continued steadily through January, February and March, with teams carrying out a wide variety of drainage, sign and verge works across the network. Activity included ongoing replacement of verge marker posts and access bollards on the A82, as well as extensive ditch clearance and associated vegetation cutting at several locations to help keep water flowing freely during wet weather. Crews also more involved drainage improvements, such as installing new gullies, carrier drains, manholes and headwalls on routes including the A83, A828 and A86. One of the more notable pieces of work undertaken was filter drain recycling north of Arden Roundabout on the A82, where existing materials were excavated, cleaned and reused on site, significantly reducing waste and supporting a more sustainable approach to routine maintenance. These efforts together help ensure the network continues to perform reliably.

Taming the terrain
Throughout January, February and March, Minor Improvements works continued to strengthen the resilience of the trunk road network against Mother Nature’s challenges including rockfall risk, landslips, flooding and the impact of wind.

At locations such as A87 Uig, A85 Loch Awe and A83 Loch Restil, targeted slope stabilisation and drainage works were undertaken to reduce the risk of unstable material and runoff reaching the carriageway. Wind related risks were managed at A9 Raigmore through the removal of vulnerable trees, while flooding risks on the A84 Anie Straight saw the installation of an automated flood warning system to support safer network operation during extreme weather. Schemes like these help to improve safety and reliability of the road network for its users in some of Scotland’s most geographically challenging locations.