Major programme of £900k repair work on A82 given green light following public consultation
Issued by BEAR Scotland NW
- Repairs include full replacement of crash barrier following HGV incident in May
- Proposals will see 12 projects carried out on A82 between Tarbet and Crianlarich
- Daytime road closures required for roadworker safety
- Works taking place in November to avoid peak tourism season and possible severe weather
A major programme of work worth almost £900,000 for the A82 between Tarbet and Crianlarich has been given the go-ahead following a public consultation with the community and other stakeholders.
The project, which includes full replacement of over 400m of crash barrier heavily damaged after an HGV incident in May, will see 12 different road maintenance schemes carried out on the route between Tarbet and Crianlarich starting in November.
Risk assessments determined that day time road closures are required to complete the safe installation of the new barrier due to the geography of the location – the narrow verge, steep overgrown embankment, drop into loch and the need to work on the slope itself to install the foundation for the barrier.
Teams from BEAR Scotland carried out a full public consultation with the local community, Emergency Services, MSPs, MPs, the Local Authority, local businesses, residents, hauliers, transport operators and other relevant stakeholders to gauge their feedback regarding the proposals.
The green light was given after the majority of the community supported the need for the work to take place which will upgrade the A82 and safely repair the crash barrier outwith the busier summer months.
To make full use of the daytime road closures multiple teams of around 40 workers will complete a major package of 12 road maintenance schemes simultaneously, including:
- Up to 4km of resurfacing projects to improve the running surface and road grip
- Major drainage works stretching over 3.5km long between Tarbet and Inveruglas to address historic issues of flooding on the route.
- Parapet repairs on a bridge at Ardvorlich as well as a stone wall at Inveruglas
- Installation of 1,300 new safety barrier reflectors and verge marker posts to increase visibility and safety at bends
- Road sign replacement and repairs
- Landscaping cut back works
- 26km of road markings
- Road stud replacements
- Other minor repairs on the road
The project will get underway from Monday 6 November for 12 days. Teams will work between 8am and 6pm each day, Monday to Fridays only, with the road re-opened in the evenings and weekends.
Access will be maintained at all times for Emergency Services, public and school buses, and any residents or businesses within the closure points. All other traffic will be diverted via the A83, A819 and A85.
Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said:
“We’re pleased that the community have supported our proposals to carry out this major programme of work on the A82, which will allow us to safely repair the crash barrier and finally remove the temporary traffic lights that have been in place since May from the road.
“Safety is our number one priority and unfortunately the only way we can safely replace the crash barrier is during the daytime. To make full use of this closure however we’ll be carrying out 11 other schemes in addition to the barrier replacement.
“We’re very aware of the impact our work can have on local communities, so wanted to share as much information as possible about our proposals to gauge their feedback. We contacted over 600 residents and businesses and also held a public information drop-in session in Crianlarich earlier this month to inform the community about our proposals and listen to any of their concerns. The majority of the responses we received recognised that this is the common sense approach to carrying out these essential works on the A82.
“We’ve listened to all feedback from the community and have amended the closure times to be lifted at 6pm each day to help with any evening commutes home.
“We’ll also provide regular project updates online once the work gets underway to share our progress during these upgrades to the A82.
“Our teams are prepared to do all they can to minimise disruption as much as possible during these works, and will work to complete the improvements as quickly and safely as they can.
“We encourage road users to plan ahead by checking the Traffic Scotland website for journey information and leaving extra time for their journey.”
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org or twitter @trafficscotland.