A trial 24-hour operation of the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful has been extended until the start of next week to cover a period of unsettled weather.
The test is being conducted to identify any issues associated with operating the A83 at all hours of the day when weather conditions allow.
Contractors BEAR Scotland say tomorrow (Thursday) is expected to see persistent rain, which will start in the early hours of the morning and continue through to early evening.
Teams will aim to ensure monitoring and convoy operations can be optimised during more inclement weather overnight.
The trial, which began on Monday, has seen motorists using the A83 continuously under single lane convoy.
The Old Military Road (OMR) local diversion route which runs parallel to the A83 will remain on standby as a safety precaution.
Work continues to strengthen the mitigation measures in the area, including development of a new debris catch-pit adjacent to the trunk road.
Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative, said: “The trial 24-hour operation of the A83 has been successful so far and has allowed us to maintain use of the trunk road during a period of reasonable weather.
“We’re now turning towards the next stage that will involve running the A83 during slightly more adverse weather conditions overnight, with this allowing us to further optimise our monitoring practices and control measures for overnight convoy operation on the trunk road.
“Road user safety remains our top priority and we will only keep the A83 open if we are content that it is safe to do so.
“This trial allows us to identify and address any issues before we commit to opening the route on a longer-term basis for road users.
“While we’re hopeful we’ll be in a position to open the A83 continuously soon, we need to underline that if there are particularly adverse conditions or a weather warning issued for the area that could impact the hillside then we will look to use the OMR as before.
“Teams have been working 24/7 on the mitigation measures in the area, including enhancing the debris fences and creating a new debris catch-pit, with such features strengthening landslip resilience and providing greater protection to road users.”
Image copyright BEAR Scotland
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