Funding secured for repairs to A82 at Glen Gloy
The A82 has been operating under temporary traffic lights since the slip in 2011. This has prevented further damage to the road and ensured it was safe for all road users
Since that time, Transport Scotland has been working to find a way of repairing the A82 without having to close it completely. Substantial progress has been made during that period. Ground investigation works have been completed, the land needed to allow the road to be realigned has been purchased and the detailed design for the new stretch of road is being finalised.
Formal notices advising of the proposed new construction will be published on 21st August on the Transport Scotland website, local press and Edinburgh Gazette. Subject to no objections this will be one further statutory process completed.
Head of Network Maintenance for Transport Scotland, Graham Edmond said:
“We are now in the welcome position of starting the process to appoint a contractor to carry-out the work required to fully re-open the A82 at Glen Gloy.
“This is a complicated project which will involve the realignment of a 300 metre stretch of the road through land uphill from the gorge. It will also improve driving conditions by taking away two of the bends through this narrow section of the A82.
“We aim to have a contractor in place to start the work by the beginning of next year. The exact timescales will be finalised following the appointment of a contractor and completion of the designs.’’
“A huge thanks goes to the communities in the area for their patience while our investigation work has been on-going. During this time, we considered a number of solutions, but some of these would have needed the complete closure of A82 for several months. The construction method for the project will allow the goods and services to continue using A82 during the works, keeping the North West Highlands and the islands open for business.
“It is important that the community are kept informed of this work as it moves forward and further information will be provided when the contractor has been appointed.”
Chairman of Spean Bridge, Roybridge and Achnacarry Community Council, John Fotheringham said:
“The news that a contractor could soon be appointed for this major repair will be very welcome in the community. We look forward to completion of the works in Spring 2015, which will return two way traffic and remove some of the bends through the glen. This will make that length of road safer for all drivers.”
Background
During the high winds and heavy rain experienced on the morning of Saturday 26th November 2011, a landslip occurred below the A82 in Glen Gloy. This resulted in the failure and collapse of the southbound verge, the wall and section of slope directly adjacent to the road. As a result, southbound lane was immediately closed to prevent vehicle loading directly above the edge of the slip. Temporary traffic signals were installed to permit single-lane traffic flow.
A number of permanent solutions were considered, some of which would have needed the complete closure of A82 for several months for construction. Transport Scotland decided therefore that the best solution would be one which did not require full closure of A82 for its construction. An offline, 300 m long carriageway realignment further away from the river gorge was therefore selected, which would eliminate two of the bends through this narrow section of the A82.