New Rock Slope Improvement Project Completed on A82 near Loch Ness 29 Apr 2019

£500,000 Rock Slope Improvement Project Completed on A82 at Wellington Layby

 

A project to stabilise two sections of rock slope opposite Loch Ness at Wellington Layby on the A82, around seven miles north of Drumnadrochit, was completed last week.

The £500,000 project involved engineers carrying out extensive work to a stretch of the rock face above the A82 to help stabilise the slope and mitigate the risk of any material reaching the carriageway.

Teams worked to remove around 400 tonnes of rock from the face to scale back part of the slope, with specialists working from high ropes to install over 2,400 square metres of steel mesh over the new surface which is held in place by 320 anchors drilled into the new slope.  If the new anchors were laid end to end, they would reach over 1,200m in length.

 The project began in February with temporary traffic lights in place to protect road workers as well as motorists.  All traffic management has now been removed and the A82 reopened to both lanes. 

Commenting on the project, Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:  “We’re pleased that the Rock Slope Improvement project at Wellington Layby is now complete, meaning that there are improved measures in place to mitigate against any rock falls reaching the A82.

“The teams have worked hard to complete this important project on time and to minimise the impact to road users throughout the work.

“We thank all road users and the local community for their patience while our teams successfully completed the project.”

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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North West Unit Road Improvements 2019 Programme Underway19 Apr 2019

BEAR Scotland’s new programme of planned road improvement works across the 883 miles of trunk roads in the North West Unit is now available to view in an interactive map here. 

 Some 149 locations are set to be addressed in the £19M resurfacing programme  that is now underway across trunk roads in the North West of Scotland.  The programme outlines locations, dates, timings and expected traffic management plans for each project.

The programme also includes footway upgrades, barrier improvements, drainage installations and any other projects designed to upgrade or improve the trunk road network.   The projects will help ensure the safety and future serviceability of the network. 

Motorists and the local community should be assured that the BEAR Scotland team will strive to carry out the programme of road improvements as quickly and as safely as possible to minimise disruption, although the programme may be subject to change through our consultation process or due to weather.

To ensure the safety of both the workforce and road users some of the works will sometimes require road closures and diversions and steps will also be taken to ensure relevant consultations are carried out and the public are kept up to date regarding all developments. 

BEAR Scotland and Transport Scotland would like to thank local communities in advance for their patience and understanding throughout the implementation of these essential works.

To learn more about the 'freeze and thaw' cycle and its impact on road surfaces, visit our information page here. 

Should you require any further information about the proposed works, please do not hesitate to contact the team by email at NWConsultation@bearscotland.co.uk. 

 

If you would like to report a specific trunk road defect you can do so via Transport Scotland’s Freephone Customer Care number, 0800 028 1414 or through BEAR Scotland’s online report a defect portal.

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Volunteers help keep Kinnoull Hill tidy18 Apr 2019

Volunteers work together to clear over 30 bags of rubbish from picturesque Kinnoull Hill

 

Multiple groups of volunteers worked together to clear over 30 bags of rubbish across different areas of Kinnoull Hill in a bid to ‘spring clean’ the picturesque woodland park yesterday (Wednesday).

The litter-pick, led by the Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park Group, included volunteers from Perth Rotary Club, members of the public and volunteers from BEAR Scotland and Santander.  Litter-picking equipment was supplied by Perth and Kinross Council to help with the clear-up.  

Together a total of 34 volunteers worked throughout the day in sessions to help target different areas of the woodland park, helping to ‘spring clean’ sections most in need of attention.

Juice bottles, sandwich wrappers, coffee cups and even a Smith’s packet of crisps from the 1970s were tidied away during the day’s work, with over 30 bags of rubbish collected in total by the end of the sessions.

Iain Murray, BEAR Scotland’s Managing Director, said: “We’re pleased that we could help support the litter pick at Kinnoull Hill this week and get involved in the community in which we operate. 

“Taking care of the environment is very important to us, and hopefully our volunteers have helped to play a small role in keeping Kinnoull Hill tidy so it can be enjoyed by everyone who visits the area.”   

 

The Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park Group was established in 2001. The Group represents a wide range of users of the Park, from horse riders to orienteering groups, to walkers and cyclists.  Upcoming activities and regular information is provided on their Facebook page under ‘Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park Group’.  

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New North West Connections newsletter - out now!07 Feb 2019

The latest issue of the North West Connections is out! In this issue you'll read all about the latest news from the North West Trunk Road Unit, including information about our winter service and read about our 24/7 control room celebrating its tenth anniversary. You can also read about the completion of our huge surfacing programme in the North West. 

To read a copy click here or download a copy via the link below.

To stay up to date with the latest news from the North West Unit follow u son twitter: @NWTrunkRoads

North West Connections_BEAR Scotland Stakeholder Newsletter_February 2019.pdf

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BEAR Scotland is ready for winter07 Dec 2018

 

• Over 58,000 tonnes of salt ready to treat trunk routes across north of Scotland

 

• 195 strong winter team ready to tackle winter conditions

 

• 10th year that BEAR’s winter 24/7 control room central to winter response

 

BEAR Scotland has over 58,000 tonnes of salt in stock, a workforce of 195 drivers and a fleet of 120 winter vehicles dedicated to helping keep the trunk roads in the north of Scotland as clear as possible this winter. 

It is ready to tackle whatever winter weather conditions affect the 2,036km of trunk roads it is responsible for across the North East and North West of Scotland, which also includes a section of the M80 between Junction 2 Stepps and Junction 7 Haggs and a short section of the M73 between Junction 3 Mollinsburn and its junction with the M80.

During last year’s harsh winter BEAR Scotland used over 80,000 tonnes of de-icing materials across nearly 11,000 treatments.  

This year marks the 10th year that the 24/7 winter control room has been central to BEAR’s winter response programme - analysing detailed weather forecasts and road temperatures to ensure treatments are carried out as necessary. 

BEAR Scotland has 120 dedicated vehicles in its winter fleet involved in carrying out precautionary winter treatments, patrols and snow clearance. This includes 39 large 32-tonne eight wheeler spreaders - some of the largest in the UK.  

Much of the ensuing winter maintenance service is related to precautionary treatments being undertaken in a bid to stop ice forming which involve spreading pre-wetted salt on routes forecast to experience low temperatures. The service also incorporates winter patrols which monitor routes with an ability to spot-treat any icy patches.

Transport Scotland’s online ‘trunk road gritter tracker’ provides live tracking of gritters on the trunk road network.  It displays the current location of gritters and a trail with an age range for where gritters have previously passed along trunk routes across Scotland. 

BEAR’s fleet includes newly named gritter, ‘For Your Ice Only’ - joining favourites including ‘Mr Plow’, ‘Plougher O’Scotland’, ‘Sir Andy Flurry’ and ‘Gritty Gritty Bang Bang.’

BEAR is also on hand to deal with any issues on the trunk roads brought by storms that bring high winds and heavy rain. Gully tankers, sandbags and water pumps are available to deal with any flooding issues and chainsaw operatives are also on standby to attend any fallen trees or branches.

Iain Murray, BEAR Scotland’s Managing Director, said: “This year marks the tenth anniversary of our 24/7 winter control room which continues to be central to our winter response activities. It monitors road conditions and weather reports allowing us to both prepare ahead and respond quickly when winter conditions hit - from the challenges of low temperatures and snow to extreme storms. The team in the control room work in partnership with the operational team on the ground – comprising a total of 195 dedicated, trained and experienced employees ready to deal with winter across the trunk roads that we maintain. 

“While we remain as committed as ever to doing as much as possible to keep routes passable during inclement weather we are keen to remind members of the public to ensure their vehicles are well maintained and that they pay close attention to local and national media and online information to help plan journeys and be prepared should conditions deteriorate.”

 

TIPS FOR DRIVING IN WINTER:

• Only travel when absolutely necessary 

• Allow more time for your journey 

• Listen to local and national radio for travel and weather information 

• Slow down and leave increased distance between you and the vehicle in front. 

• Be prepared when travelling. Keep the following in your vehicle:-

o Ice scraper 

o De-icer 

o Torch 

o Warm clothes including gloves and hats 

o Blanket 

o Shovel 

o Food & drink 

o High visibility jacket 

o First aid kit 

 

Check: 

o Your tyres are at the correct pressures and have good tread. 

o Your vehicle lights are clean and working. 

o Your wiper blades are effective. 

o Your battery is in good condition and fully charged. 

o Your vehicle anti-freeze is the right concentration (Your garage can do this for you). 

o Your windows and mirrors are clear of ice or condensation. 

 

BEAR Scotland Named Gritters

Some local primary schools and competition winners helped come up with names for some of our winter fleet, you can track their whereabouts through the Transport Scotland Gritter Tracker here!

North West Unit:

• The Ice Destroyer

• Rumble

• Mr. Plow

• Gritallica 

• Ready Spready Go

• Gangsta Granny Gritter

North East Unit:

• Sprinkles

• The Winter Explorer

• Sir Grits-a-lot

• Gritty Gritty Bang Bang

• Sir Andy Flurry

• The Snow Buster

• Plougher O’Scotland

• For Your Ice Only

M80 DBFO

• Mrs McGritter

A92 DBFO

• Polar BEAR Express

 

Further Information:

• Drivers can get winter driving advice at: http://trafficscotland.org/media/badweatherleaflet.pdf 

• Traffic Scotland provides real time information on trunk road conditions.  You can visit their mobile site here: https://my.trafficscotland.org, or access information at www.trafficscotland.org or via twitter @TrafficScotland. 

• The Transport Scotland trunk road gritter tracker details where spreaders have been in the past 24 hours.  This can be viewed at Traffic Scotland here: http://trafficscotland.org/wintergritterinfo/

• Consider public transport options for your journey by visiting www.travelinescotland.com

 

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