Roads

[John S]

I see the Hall St hole I photographed last week is filled with tar, I'll take another when it pops out again. I feel really sorry for the council workers who have to patch up the roads this way, It can't be very satisfying.

Heres Jim Mathers press release of today on the roads.

From the first week after being elected as an MSP in 2003 to the final week of the present parliament the condition of the roads serving Argyll & Bute has been the source of more complaints than any other subject. This was stated at the weekend by Jim Mather when he was in Oban taking a surgery before parliament broke up on 29th May.

Mr Mather said,

“The reason for the constant complaints about the roads in Argyll & Bute is not hard to understand. In an area of the country where public transport is thin on the ground more people are dependent upon private cars than in most of Scotland.

That is why everyone is so aware of the desperately poor condition of our road network and the lack of material improvement.

The trunk roads are lifeline routes for Argyll & Bute but in their current condition they also inhibit potential growth in the local economy.

The A82 from Balloch to Tarbet is adequate but the road between Tarbet and Ardlui is quite deplorable with ruts and potholes, blind corners, broken drains, casual water and many other problems. Indeed, buses and commercial vehicles often have to stop to allow passage.

The A83, the only route to Mid Argyll and Kintyre is breaking up in many sections with pot holes and crumbling edges and yet is treated to patching and filling with temporary repairs that seldom last for long.

The rest of the road network is the responsibility of Argyll & Bute Council and they seem compelled to operate under a crisis management system of make and mend.

The annual allowance for road repair and maintenance is barely a tenth of what is required to bring the system up to standard and so the deterioration of the system is inevitable. Serious road faults like the slippage that occurred at Carnasserie are unable to be dealt with in the short term.

Consequently, I have pressed and will continue to press the Executive to justify the funding levels that the Council receives for the provision of services. Those who consider the mainland roads to be substandard should know that some of the roads on our islands such as Mull are even worse.

I hope that after May with a new set up in operation we can start taking steps to radically improve the transport infrastructure of Argyll & Bute as I see this as absolutely essential if we are to move the local economy forward.”

[Kintyre Forum News]

Rather amusing letter in the Herald today which might have had something to do with the thread?? when there is a Campbeltown reference?

Such Saps
I would like to make readers aware of the innovative plan being considered by Argyll and Bute Council. The scheme is entitled "Sponsor A Pothole", or Sap.

Sponsors agree to pay £5 monthly to the treasurer in Campbeltown, Argyll. In return, you are sent a photograph of the pothole you are sponsoring. It will be on Argyll's main roads, and likely to be in the Oban area, where a large colony now exists.

Each month you will receive a letter written on behalf of the pothole, confirming its wellbeing, and detailing its growth over the preceding four weeks.

advertisementOn receipt of your first payment, the council will send you an unconditional guarantee that your pothole will not be tampered with for 12 months, and there is no danger of a filling-in operation.

All monies collected from this scheme will be added to the sum available for councillors' expenses.

I urge all ratepayers in Argyll who wish to become a Sap to contribute now.

Neil Falconer, 8A John Street, Helensburgh.

[Mary G]

Some sort of obsession with roads right now … Robbie Coltrane doing a series on B roads, and the BBC doing a thing on the history of the Motorway. And then I came across this amazing list of every road in the country, produced by a road-spotting-anorak-type group, called “The Society for All British Road Enthusiasts” – or SABRE. I love it!
http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/roadlists/

This comprehensive database of every numbered road in the country is quite an achievement. And many routes also have really interesting commentaries. As for our own A83, well, to quote:

“A83: Tarbet - Campbeltown
The A83 has become my all-time favourite road, …”

Worth a wee look. http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/roadlists/f99/83.shtml

[Sweltered]

I have officially seen it all now

[mary,queen of everything]

somehow or another you have to love a people that come up with this kind of thing, road enthusiasts, bog snorklers, the crazy looney party and I think extreme ironing. What a great way to let people know not to take life too seriously.

[witchnettle]

thanks for that link,
for a man who has only driven the glasgow road once he has a hell of a memory,
but nice to see our homeland being so appreciated,
maybe we can be lucky enough now and then
to also see kintyre as though we have never been here before
x

[Mags B]

Amazing site!! Have forwarded it to some anoraks in the Roads Dept who will enjoy it! I was driving down to Campbeltown on Wednesday in the sunshine and just thinking how beautiful it all was.

Don't know how long it has been since Ardrishaig could be described as a 'busy fishing community' though. Sadly those days are long gone.

[Amanda in Texas]

It is certainly a lovely drive. And my friend is always excited by driving on the opposite side of the car and road. Last time we took the B road and that was very nice, too. She did become tense when other cars approached in some of the narrow bits, though!

[Bobbie En Tejas]

thanks for that link,
for a man who has only driven the glasgow road once he has a hell of a memory,
but nice to see our homeland being so appreciated,
maybe we can be lucky enough now and then
to also see kintyre as though we have never been here before
x

Its a beautiful place and a wonderful road.

Amanda, I only drove a mile in Scotland, and my passengers lived to tell about it.. but I'm afraid the experience probably changed them forever

[John S]

Some bits are not so beautiful. The council has a multi million £ historical backlog on road maintenance which has meant that reinforcement and widening of the road has not been given the priority it deserves. In the run-up to the elections, the condition of the roads was a major issue on the doorstep, I hope that over the next few years people will see an improvement in the roads and that I can persuade my colleagues on Argyll & Bute Council that more needs to be spent on clearing the backlog and bringing our roads up to a reputable standard.


This is a 200m bit at Ballochroy is .25m into the carrageway and .2m deep at its worse . ouch!!!!

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Okay, maybe the road isn't beautiful.. the way is beautiful.

[The Hitman]

.

[Tubby the Tuba]

Nice to see the council out cleaning the roadside ditch at Glencraigs, would be much better if they did something about the stretch between Kilmichael and Auchaleek which is much worse for flooding......

[Buzz Lightyear]

Nice to see the council out cleaning the roadside ditch at Glencraigs, would be much better if they did something about the stretch between Kilmichael and Auchaleek which is much worse for flooding......

I agree, they'll probably do it on a Sunday!