A83 Closure

[Swanseajock]

Good points raised on Radio 5Live this dinner time by Donald Kelly. Hope someone who makes the decisions is listening

What did he say?

He highlighted the problems that the recent landslide on the Rest had caused to businesses and residents of Kintyre, and how that a joined up campaign was being started to get the decision makers to listen and sort the road out.

[maxmix]

He highlighted the problems that the recent landslide on the Rest had caused to businesses and residents of Kintyre, and how that a joined up campaign was being started to get the decision makers to listen and sort the road out.

Should have been highlighted a bit more over the years if you ask me.... Not as if this is a new thing....

maxmix

[Kintyre Forum News]

Transport Scotland today issued the following update:

A83 will re-open 24 hours a day from tomorrow evening, Tuesday 13th December, weather permitting.

The fact that there has been no further landslide since the road closed 10 days ago gives a greater degree of confidence that the hill has stabilised at present.

... The road will be floodlit and observed throughout the hours of darkness. Any evidence of debris or boulders on the road will trigger the immediate closure of the road.

In addition monitoring instrumentation has been procured whichwill provide a visual night time indication of slope movement. Installation of this equipment on the hillside is programmed before Christmas and will provide an early visual indication of slope failure, thereby reducing risk to road users by identifying movements before a landslide occurs.

However concerns remain about slope stability particularly during periods of heavy rain. As a consequence a severe weather warning for rain is likely to prompt a road closure, with the exception of emergency vehicles. Similarly, severe winds may de-stabilise the floodlights and a severe wind warning may also prompt closure.

We are also working on long term solutions for the slope and alternative access routes.

We will continue to provide you with a regular update or if the situation changes.

[Kintyre Forum News]

No sooner is open but it is closed again.

A83 update - the rest and be thankful is closed and will re-open at 8.30am tomorrow morning.

[Ags]

Have just heard the road is closed at the Rest and be Thankful again as you have posted KFN and it is also closed at Inveraray?
if anybody has any further info can you let us know please, we are off on a panto trip from school tomorrow but will never make the matinee performance if we have to go round the long way.

[Isa]

Ags, the road at Inverary was closed because of the high tide swamping the road and the next high tide will be 2 am so hopefully if the wind dies down tomorrow the road will be passable even allowing for the tide. Not sure about the Rest tomorrow but it was okay today for traffic!

[Ags]

Thanks Isa, i wasn't sure what the story was with Inveraray! It's a bit wild in Machrihanish at the moment but i know it is meant to blow out tonight, Fingers crossed we will have a successful panto jaunt tomorrow

[Sheik Yir Erse]

In addition monitoring instrumentation has been procured which will provide a visual night time indication of slope movement.

Translation during times of Government cutbacks = The Moon

Installation of this equipment .... will provide an early visual indication of slope failure....

Translation during times of Government cutbacks = A sign like this.

As a consequence a severe weather warning for rain is likely to prompt a road closure, with the exception of emergency vehicles. Similarly, severe winds may de-stabilise the floodlights and a severe wind warning may also prompt closure.

So, just to be clear ..... the road will now be shut if it's wet, and the road will now be shut if it's windy. Thankfully that doesn't happen very often!!!! Honest to god, who writes their scripts - this is comedy gold!!! I can only assume the Transport Scotland brain cell was double-booked when they had that meeting.

We have to bear in mind that this is to protect us from the terrible threat of landslides which in the last 50 years have claimed the lives of absolutely no-one, as far as I can see!!! Transport Scotland - please stop disrupting people's lives and businesses and stop worrying about a potential insurance claim! Credit us drivers with the superhman power that allows us to notice 800 tonnes of hillside lounging in the middle of the road. Credit us with the powers of reasoning that we would decide to bring our vehicles to a halt, as opposed to trying to drive through it!

PS. We can all have a wee chuckle if I become the first landslide fatality the next time I'm on my way home - I'll certainly be laughing out loud - whilst singing along to "Isn't It Ironic" by Alanis Morrisette!

[Kintyre Forum News]

A83 Rest and Be Thankful fully reopens again

The A83 at the Rest and be Thankful fully reopened to traffic today.

The road, which has been subject to closures during the hours of darkness to all vehicles except emergency vehicles since a landslip earlier this month, will now be open to all traffic around the clock, although this remains subject to weather conditions.

Transport Scotland originally anounced the road would reopen 24 hours a day yesterday morning . However, it later had to close because of the heavy rain and high winds.

Minister for Housing and Transport, Keith Brown said: "Since the landslip at the Rest and be Thankful on 1 Dec and the clean up operation which followed, our road engineers have been working hard to find a solution to allow a full reopening of the road on a 24 hour basis to general traffic.

"We are very grateful to the local community who have shown a great deal of patience as we worked to find a solution. The safety of road users is always our first concern and must rightly remain so, and the closures during darkness were necessary in ensuring this.

"Now that the gale force winds and heavy rain has subsided floodlighting has been installed and tested along the section of road we know to be susceptible to landslip. This will allow conditions on the road to be monitored through the night, adding an extra layer of safety for drivers.

"We must caution though that we are at the mercy of the weather which in recent days has been extreme. Concerns remain about slope stability particularly during periods of heavy rain, and severe winds may de-stabilise the floodlights which have been installed. Should we find ourselves in a position where monitoring during the hours of darkness cannot be undertaken, or that we find evidence of landslip - then full or partial closures of the road may be forced on us again.

"In the meantime we have procured additional instrumentation which we expect to have in place before Christmas which will provide an early visual indication of movement of the hillside, and increase the ability to monitor the hillside during the hours of darkness."

Geotechnical experts continue to monitor the hillside for any further evidence of movement which will allow a quick response to events as they happen. Traffic management is also in in place to provide addtional protection to road users.

Since the last incident of a landslip in 2009 an early warning system has been installed, advising motorists of a higher risk of landslips occurring. Flexible flow netting and a new culvert has also been installed.

[DOUBLE A]

Bad news, Closed again

http://trafficscotland.org/weather/inde ... =4&b=a1049

[Bonnie Lass]

Why no mention of the closure on BBC Scotland this evening, we are having to travel up the road tomorrow and would like to know what is happening.

[Kintyre Forum News]

Title: A83 Rest and Be Thankful - Closed
Start Time: 22 Feb 2012 - 14:50
Location: A83 Rest and be Thankful
Type: Closed
Route Name: A83
Direction: Both Directions
Description:

The A83 is currently closed to traffic in both directions at the Rest and be Thankful due to a landslip.
Delay: Road users are advised to expect longer than normal journey time due to the length of the diversion.
Cause: Landslip
Diversion:

Northbound Traffic is being diverted via A82 at Tarbet onto the A85 at Tyndrum then join the A819 at Dalmally to return to the A82 at Inveraray. The southbound diversion is the reverse of this route.

[Kintyre Forum News]

The A83 will remain closed overnight. The situation with the state of the hillside will be reviewed by Transport Scotland at first light. Transport Scotland has a conference call with Argyll and Bute Council at 10.00am to decide on whether or not the road can be reopened.

Realistically, this means that the road will not be open before around 10.15am so commuting and early morning freight traffic should make alternative arrangements either via the Dunoon ferries or by the diversion A819 / A85 / A82 diversion between Inveraray and Tarbet.

[maxmix]

The A83 will remain closed overnight. The situation with the state of the hillside will be reviewed by Transport Scotland at first light. Transport Scotland has a conference call with Argyll and Bute Council at 10.00am to decide on whether or not the road can be reopened.

Realistically, this means that the road will not be open before around 10.15am so commuting and early morning freight traffic should make alternative arrangements either via the Dunoon ferries or by the diversion A819 / A85 / A82 diversion between Inveraray and Tarbet.

Thank goodness for The Ferry !

maxmix

[Isa]

According to this report yesterday there wasn't a landslide. The closure was a precautionary measure and the road is open again today.


The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll is closed again because of the potential for a landslide. TranServ Scotland have said that observations and hillside monitors have shown that there is a possibility the hillside will move and the road has been closed to allow a thorough assessment of the situation