Project Details

Description

BEAR Scotland has been commissioned by Transport Scotland to carry out remedial embankment stabilisation and scour protection works to ensure integrity of the A83 trunk road and halt further erosion/undermining of the carriageway. As part of this works package, four localised areas (each between 18-25m in length) of embankment will be targeted with rock bags and geotextile, with transitionary rip-rap to tie into existing banks, with the full scope of works to include:

  • Site clearance (including removal of Vehicle Restraint System (VRS)) (failure areas only)
  • Excavation of embankment area to make space for rock bags.
  • Installation of rock bags with associated geo textile and back fill
  • Installation of rock armour at side of rock bags.
  • Reinstall VRS

A partial dry working area (where watercourse will still flow around the dry working area) will be established for excavation and installation of the rock bag revetment, with some in-stream boulders will also be removed from the wetted channel in places where they are deemed to direct flow towards the eroding bank. Plant to be utilised will include long reach excavators, a backhoe excavator, and general plant such as a HIAB loader crane for transportation of materials. It is anticipated that all plant will be situated on the top of the embankment/hardstanding of the carriageway.

These works are currently programmed to commence between July and September 2026 for a duration of six weeks, with an exact start date to be confirmed. Site working hours will be between 07:00 and 19:00. Traffic management (TM) will involve a single lane closure on the northbound side with two-way temporary traffic lights. A site compound will be set up in or near the existing layby on the westbound side of the carriageway (NN 23405 08833).

Location

The scheme is located approximately 350m downstream (north) of Loch Restil and 1.3km north of the Rest and Be Thankful (RaBT) viewpoint, within the Argyll and Bute Council area. The scheme has the following National Grid References (NGRs): Start (south): NN 23178 08563 / End (north): NN 23381 08810.