A83 Rest and Be Thankful reopens with 'catch pits'

Construction of the three new pits, costing £2.24m, finished this week and it is hoped the measures will alleviate problems caused by landslips onto the road.

Alongside the existing smaller catch-pit, these will help provide a combined capacity to store over 13,000 tonnes of material.

The three pits are positioned next to the A83 carriageway and have been built into the slope at strategic locations to catch any falling debris.

Over 28,000 tonnes of rock was removed in the operation, with the catch pits collectively measuring around 180m in length and said to hold a combined volume almost the same as three Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Temporary traffic lights had been in place to protect road workers as well as motorists throughout construction, with the lights removed on Wednesday evening once the project was complete.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative, said: “We’re pleased that this first phase of the catch-pit project is complete, meaning the A83 has reopened to both lanes.

“This has been a huge project and teams have worked hard to complete this major phase in the ongoing work to improve landslip resilience at the Rest, with the catch-pits helping to mitigate against potential landslips and improving the reliability and safety of the A83 for all road users.

“Teams have also worked to come up with an innovative and sustainable use for the 28,000 tonnes of excavated rock, by transporting it three miles up to Glen Kinglas and reusing it to build additional rock defence against landslips in the area – saving a huge number of road miles in the process and a great reduction in carbon emissions.

“We thank road users as well as the local community for their continued patience.”

The next phase of the catch-pit project is set to begin in late 2019.