Due to wet weather which is forecast to continue over the weekend, BEAR Scotland will be opening the Old Military Road as a precaution from 7pm on Friday 4 October to allow road users travelling along the A83 Rest and Be Thankful to continue their journey safely.
The decision follows the first forecast of sustained rainfall since the hillside movement on Sunday 15 September. A decision will be made about returning traffic to the A83 trunk road on Monday afternoon following a hillside inspection and subject to the forecast improving.
Use of the short local diversion protects road users and maintains traffic flow along the A83 corridor ensuring access to and from Argyll.
Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said: “The safety of road users is the priority for BEAR Scotland and we closely monitor conditions at the Rest and Be Thankful on a daily basis.
“This weekend’s forecast for rain will significantly increase saturation levels on the hillside, therefore we’ve decided to open the Old Military Road as a proactive safety measure. This will allow us to closely monitor the area which caused a 500 Tonne landslip back in September, checking how it copes with the first persistent rain since the event. The use of this route maintains access to the A83 corridor for the travelling public, keeping Argyll very much open for business with minimal delays of around 20 minutes.
“Subject to the weather improving, we plan to inspect the hillside thoroughly on Monday 7 October and this will inform a decision to return traffic to the A83.”
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland A83 Rest and Be Thankful and X @trafficscotland. Ferry options are also available, check www.western-ferries.co.uk.
Find more information on the traffic management process at the Rest and Be Thankful here.
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