BEAR Scotland, Transport Scotland’s operating company, is carrying out necessary landscaping work to remove over 200 diseased larch trees from a location adjacent to the trunk road south of Strathyre after Scottish Forestry issued a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN).
The work will take place from the evening of Monday 10 June to the morning of Thursday 20 June, between 7pm and 6am each night. The road will be closed during this time, with hourly amnesties from 8pm to 5am, using a convoy system and a speed limit of 10mph for the safety of workers and road users. No works will be carried out on Saturday or Sunday nights.
BEAR Scotland, is managing the project which is being carried out by specialist contractor, Ayrshire Tree Surgeons. The trees will be removed mechanically with dedicated equipment.
Phytophthora ramorum is a tree disease that often affects larch trees. It has been prevalent in South West Scotland for many years, with further sporadic outbreaks also becoming apparent in other parts of the country. The disease can’t be eradicated. The only way to slow the rate of spread is to fell the infected trees and those surrounding them.
Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative says: “It is important that these works are carried out to limit further spread of this disease among larch trees.
“It’s crucial for safety to have traffic management measures in place while we do this.
“We know this will cause disruption and have scheduled the work for night-time when traffic is lighter to minimise impact.
“The work may lead to a slight increase in noise, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of road users and the local community.”
Consultation has taken place with relevant stakeholders.
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland at www.traffic.gov.scot, or on X at @trafficscotland.
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