Road surface improvements for A83

[Kintyre Forum News]

Road surface improvements for A83

Plans have been drawn up to seal and retexture some six kilometres of the A83 in Kintyre.

The work will involve surface dressing 37,000 sq m of the road between Westport car park and Bellochantuy as part of the council’s capital programme.

From June 10, part of Westport car park will be used to store the aggregate needed for the work. During this time, the public car parking will be restricted to allow access for delivery vehicles and storage of the materials.

The surface dressing is programmed to start on Thursday, June 16 and last for two days. A convoy system will be in operation to keep traffic moving during that time.

Limited parking and access to the beach will be maintained whenever possible. However, during the work itself there will be no public access to the car park. Access from the beach to the toilet will be maintained throughout the works.

Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, Argyll and Bute’s spokesperson for transport and infrastructure, said: “This project is just one beneficiary of the £7million which we will spend on improving our road network this year.

“Whilst this is a significant piece of upgrading work, we have done everything possible to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum and that public access to the car park is maintained whenever possible.

"We are fully committed to improving the area’s roads network for the benefit of local communities, businesses and visitors to the area. Projects such as this will make a real difference to all road users in Argyll and Bute.”

[D10jimmy]

why are they messing with what is probably the best piece of road between here and tarbert? there are other bits like just north of the sound of kintyre junction that are slowly slipping towards the field, and pot holes as far as you can see. looks like someone has got their prioritys a bit wrong?!

[mrn]

Have to agree D10jimmy but perhaps these are planned during the summer too? There are a couple of bits of road between Ballochroy and Ronachan that are in urgent need to repair. one does have to question the use of Westport carpark and the closure to the public during the road works, surely there are other areas that could have been used? Doesn't state an end date so could be out of action at one of the busiest times of the year?

[jdcarra]

why are they messing with what is probably the best piece of road between here and tarbert? there are other bits like just north of the sound of kintyre junction that are slowly slipping towards the field, and pot holes as far as you can see. looks like someone has got their prioritys a bit wrong?!

It's good to see some one else can work out that the roads dept have (and repeated) their priorites well wrong in where they do the worst stretches of roads first .
I would like someone from that dept to get back to the forum and give us a list of the forth coming repairs to all the roads and B roads included before winter strikes again.
Tesco's car park will be the best place to drive now in the whole of Argyll as its now had most of it retarred.

[smokynuk]

Tesco's carpark will be the best place to drive now in the whole of Argyll.

Apologies for the off topic post, but isnt that an indication that Tescos may be staying put?

[jdcarra]

why are they messing with what is probably the best piece of road between here and tarbert? there are other bits like just north of the sound of kintyre junction that are slowly slipping towards the field, and pot holes as far as you can see. looks like someone has got their prioritys a bit wrong?!

It's good to see some one else can work out that the roads dept have (and repeated) their priorites well wrong in where they do the worst stretches of roads first .
I would like someone from that dept to get back to the forum and give us a list of the forth coming repairs to all the roads and B roads included before winter strikes again.
Tesco's car park will be the best place to drive now in the whole of Argyll as its now had most of it retarred.
ps. forgot ,Ardrishaig carpark was completely resurfaced last month

[Isa]

Apologies for the off topic post, but isnt that an indication that Tescos may be staying put?

According to a member of staff they had been getting asked this all day and he explained that one of their high heid yins was down on a visit recently and decided to give the car park a resurface because it was a bit ragged in places. He felt that as there was some money left over in the pot it should be spent here. Nothing to do with the future of the new place apparently..

[EileenH]

I know it's off topic but, tescos must have lost a tidy wee sum while the car park was being resurfaced. The co op was packed the last few days. And I was one of those who went elsewhere! Trying to park at tescos while this was being done was near impossible.

[smokynuk]

Thanks for the info Isa.

Perhaps we should get Tescos to resurface the B roads.. probably get it done faster!

[jdcarra]

Thanks for the info Isa.

Perhaps we should get Tescos to resurface the B roads.. probably get it done faster!

Filling in the Carradale road today and it lashing down.On the way back up from town some tarred potholes disturbed already .Do not think we are going to get as good a job as Tesco's now or ever by the looks of things.
Paying more and more keeping our vehicles fit for the road with all the damage they have been receiving over the past year .

[russanros]

Apologies for the off topic post, but isnt that an indication that Tescos may be staying put?

According to a member of staff they had been getting asked this all day and he explained that one of their high heid yins was down on a visit recently and decided to give the car park a resurface because it was a bit ragged in places. He felt that as there was some money left over in the pot it should be spent here. Nothing to do with the future of the new place apparently..

And if they sell the site, they would get a better price if the car park was not in immediate need of resurfacing, not sure we shoud read too much into this?

-as to the A83 I'm guessing that this work will prevent the good section deteriorating to the standards of the bad bits, but I do hope attention is coming to those bits! Campbeltown to Westport and Muasdale to Clachan is a joke in a car with regards to potholes etc, but in a larger vehicle you notice all sorts of adverse cambers, which you sort of get used to with more trips you do but its obvious why so many of the verges are ripped up by lorries, when we moved here the removal wagon took a tumble on the Clachan brae before that was resurfaced!

I used to joke that the roads in Yorkshire were bad, but they were only the back roads and those round the schemes, not the main road in & out.

[D10jimmy]

agreed with the above, its quite worrying when you look in the tractor mirror to see your trailer takeing a big lean towards the field, then getting thrown out the seat 200yards further along because of the over filled potholes! think i should take the coucil managers a run in a tractor to see where the bad bits are!

[loggerstu]

Mabe we should vote for a Tesco party in next parliment?! How much money was spent on the road going out of town past the sad looking call centre??? When the contractors arrived my first impressions were proven right! Has anyone been down to southend? New connieglen road. Layout mabe not the best but surface looks great. (local contractors= money put into local pockets) When will A&B council relise they cant fix or surface roads. What they can do is spend as much money as possible on the smallest of things!
Would be nice to see some local councilors view on this. . . . . . .

[Kintyre Forum News]

Wonder if the previous press release with regards the road works at westport is included in this partnership?

Road improvement contract signed in Islay, Jura, Mull and Kintyre

Argyll and Bute Council has signed a three year £7 million partnership agreement with Breedon Aggregates Scotland to carry out road improvements on Islay, Jura, Mull and in Kintyre.

Work starts this month and will include road reconstruction, resurfacing, patching and markings as well as surface dressing which keeps out rain water and keeps rot at bay.

Spokesperson for Transport and Infrastructure at Argyll and Bute Council, Councillor Duncan MacIntyre said: “This partnership agreement will ultimately mean that we can ensure good maintenance of the routes in Islay, Jura, Mull and Kintyre over a long period of time at a competitive rate. It will make a real difference to the communities in these areas of Argyll and Bute. We are committed to improving the area’s roads for local people, businesses and tourists. Breedon Aggregates have proved that they are able to deliver time and again. We are looking forward to working with them.”

Chief executive of Breedon Aggregates Scotland, Alan Mackenzie said: "This is great news for Breedon Aggregates Scotland and for the local authority, as this approach allows them to maximise their budgets at a time when funding is under pressure. We have a good working heritage in this area and the fact this is a long-term deal and a partnership agreement is testament to our experience and ability to deliver good quality results.”

[Sheik Yir Erse]

I came back up the road yesterday, and noticed they had started work on one section, just north of Westport, managed to take a quick photo as I followed behind one of the resurfacing lorries.