A82 green light on £5m Crianlarich bypass works. North west roads ‘alive’ with improvement activity

Construction of the new bypass at Crianlarich which is due to open in summer 2014, also supports local economic activity in the north west and will help ensure the area is open and stays open for business.

The Transport Minister said:

“I cannot emphasise enough the importance the Scottish Government places on ensuring that roads vital to the economic well-being of communities are not just maintained but enhanced.

“Crianlarich on the A82 is a case in point – the local community has endured substantial levels of traffic through the town for a number of years - particularly during the busy tourist season. The new £5 million bypass which will see a new two lane carriageway built to the west of the town will take much of the through traffic away from Crianlarich. In addition the vast majority of the work will be off the existing A82, so minimal disruption is expected during construction. We expect the community to see and feel the benefits of the new bypass when it is finished in around a year’s time.

“Underlining our commitment to the region, we are also investing nearly £10 million on the A82 at Pulpit Rock which will see the road widened and traffic lights removed at this location for the first time in over 30 years, and work is continuing apace. Vital design and survey work on the A82 between Tarbet and Inveranan worth £2 million is under way, and only a few weeks ago I opened a new modern bridge on the A82 at Bridge of Orchy which has seen £1.8 million of investment.

“On the A83, Transport Scotland has invested nearly £12 million in improvements. This is in addition to the £3 million package of works which included delivery of a local diversion route at the Rest and Be Thankful. The latest A83 Taskforce meeting earlier this month reported that we are also on programme to spend the £4 million of investment earmarked for this financial year on mitigation works and improvements to this key route through Argyll. We also announced last month that from summer 2014, the 51km section of the A83 between Kennacraig and Campbeltown is set to become a trunk road, with operation and maintenance the responsibility of Transport Scotland. With the 106km of road between Kennacraig and Tarbet already trunked, this will allow for more effective and efficient route management for this vital road through Argyll.

“I’m delighted work is now under way at Crianlarich - the key routes across the north west of Scotland are alive with activity and the construction work here reflects our determination to improve transport connections right across the country.

Notes to editors

  1. The improvements to the A82 at Pulpit Rock will include a new viaduct running parallel with Loch Lomond and widening of the existing carriageway to the north. It will deliver the following benefits to road users - removal of traffic signals, improved journey times, reduce driver frustration. Work has started and is due to be complete in Spring 2014. See more at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/road/projects/A82-Improvements/A82-Pulpit-Rock#sthash.cRiGuuZ3.dpuf
  2. The £2 million design and survey work for the A82 between Tarbet and Inverarnan, is now underway to identify a preferred alignment for the future upgrade of the route. A series of surveys will take place between 2013 and 2015 which will help inform options for this alignment. The survey work will inform the design of a more extensive upgrade of the route and will consider addressing the causes of accidents, widening the carriageway and improving the line of sight, improving drainage, enhancing access to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Oban, Fort William and beyond, delivering journey time reliability, consider the extent of rock cuts and earthworks, and improving pedestrian and cycle access, car parking and lay-by provision. Engagment with stakeholders and local communities will be a key part of the design work and as part of that engagement, Transport Scotland and the design consultants are holding a stakeholder workshop in Arrochar on 2 October 2013. The design work being carried out over the next two years is in preparation for any improvement work which work to take place once funding becomes available after 2017.
  3. The A83 Taskforce, set up in response to the August 2012 land slide on the Rest and be thankful met on 4th Sept in Arrochar for the 5th time to assess progress so far. The key points covered were updates on :

The delivery of a local diversion route via the old military road

Part A

  • Implementation of six phases of landslide risk reduction measures on the Rest and Be thankful which are able to hold a collective 3700 cubic meters of debris
  • Remote monitoring systems
  • Planned hillside tree planting along affected areas
  • Extension of WIGWAG review to refine the trigger mechanism
  • Six further phases to complete by March 2014, with the next three to be tendered next month

Part B

  • Progression of Minor Improvement schemes at Dunderave, Strone Point, Erines and Barmore Road, Tarbert.
  • Assessment of potential risk areas at Caindow, Glen Kinglass and Loch Shira
  • Pedestrian assessments at Barmore rd, Tarbet and Inveraray
  • Vegetation cutting works along the route commencing December 2013
  • Lay by review and assessment

5. Transport Scotland is the Scottish Government’s national transport agency responsible for; aviation, bus, freight and taxi policy; coordinating the National Transport Strategy for Scotland; ferries, ports and harbours; impartial travel services; liaising with regional transport partnerships, including monitoring of funding; local roads policy; major public transport projects; national concessionary travel schemes; rail and trunk road networks; sustainable transport, road safety and accessibility; the Blue Badge Scheme. Transport Scotland is an Executive agency accountable to Scottish Ministers. http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/

For further information contact:

Transport Scotland Press Office 0141 272 7195

News release: TS949SC

Published 1 Oct 2013