Good Progress at Rest and Be Thankful

The massive efforts to clear rocks and boulders from the slope above the A83 have progressed well today thanks to an improvement in weather conditions at the Rest and Be Thankful.

Specialist teams have managed to get to the top of the hill to break up some of the huge boulders that have been deposited there following the recent landslide.

All of the debris from the bottom of the slope has now been cleared away and signs, floodlights and barriers have been put in place to get the A83 back into full operation as soon as the top of the hill has been made safe.

In the meantime, the Old Military Road Diversion continues to operate well, keeping the area connected and open for business.

Transport Scotland’s Head of Network Maintenance, Graham Edmond said:

“The team at the Rest and Be Thankful have continued their endeavours to get the A83 fully operational today, despite the sometimes challenging weather conditions. They are working tirelessly to make sure everything is ready to go as soon as the boulders on the higher areas of the slope are made safe.

“The weather has slowed progress as the team have to scale the hillside on ropes to carry-out their work but they have used breaks in the cloud to maximum effect.

“The Old Military Road has performed extremely well this week and it has been an invaluable resource. Thousands of people have been able to use it. It is more than twenty-six miles or thirty-eight minutes shorter than the traditional diversion route and saves road users, including hauliers, both time and fuel costs.

“It plays a key part in our efforts to keep Argyll and Bute open for business and underlines our commitment to landslide mitigation in the area.”