The main A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful has reopened after a major programme of complex repairs was completed this morning.
The route was inspected by Police Scotland and geotechnical specialists for a final safety check before reopening under traffic light control at around 10.25am.
The road closed on August 4 after a landslide which saw boulders the size of cars falling down Glen Croe.
The alternative single-track Old Military Road has been available for some of thsat time, but it too has been subject to closures.
Temporary traffic lights will remain in place for safety as engineers are continuing with work to construct further mitigation measures.
A temporary debris barrier has been erected to protect road users and a catch-pit is being excavated at the foot of the channel to provide further resilience on the route.
Work is already underway at the next location for another catch-pit which is located immediately adjacent to the recently completed catch-pits in July 2019.
Around 100mm of rain fell in the area on August 4.
The source of the landslip was located around 200m high above the A83, which split into two main channels as it spread out in a ‘fan effect’ down the hillside.
Around 2,000 tonnes of debris was prevented from reaching the carriageway after it was contained in one of the catch-pits, with around 1,500 tonnes impacting the A83 and a further 2,000 tonnes of material washing onto the Old Military Road.
In total, around 10,000 tonnes of material was thought to have moved on the hillside during the landslip.
Large boulders were also exposed on the hillside during the landslip, with a helicopter brought in to help stabilise the boulders and make them safe.
A team of around 50 worked 2to complete the programme of repairs, keep the Old Military Road running safely and manage traffic on the A83.
Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative said: “We’re pleased to safely reopen one lane of the A83 after a full safety assessment with representatives from Police Scotland this morning.
“Teams from multiple organisations have worked round the clock in all conditions to complete the programme of complex repairs in the area and keep the Old Military Road and other routes into Argyll open.
“Engineers will continue to carry out further mitigation work on the hillside above the road as well as at the next catch-pit location to provide further landslip resilience on the A83.
“As ever, we thank the local community for their patience and support while we worked to address the repairs at the Rest and encourage them to drive safely through the Rest and Be Thankful teams complete the remaining mitigation work at the site.”
This is great work and will not have to be done ever again once the new tunnel is in operation!