PEOPLE in Helensburgh are being urged to have their say on five different proposals for a new route through Glen Croe linking central Scotland with the rest of Argyll.
Transport Scotland’s online consultation on the five detailed alternatives comes after the Scottish Government said a new route close to the existing A83 was its preferred option for solving decades of landslide problems on the trunk road east of the Rest and Be Thankful.
A major landslide last August saw the trunk road closed for weeks
The five options have each been given a colour, and all feature some combination of debris flow shelters, a viaduct or a tunnel.
Brown route: Essentially follows the existing A83 trunk road through Glen Croe, but will include debris flow shelters and a viaduct.
Yellow route: A new single carriageway between the A83 trunk road and the Old Military Road with a viaduct.
The aftermath of one of several major landslides on the route last year
Green route: A new single carriageway on the opposite side of the glen to the A83 trunk road, with a viaduct and other landslide mitigation measures.
Purple route: A new single carriageway through the glen floor to the north-west of the Old Military Road with a possible viaduct option and tunnel.
Pink route: A new single carriageway road between the A83 trunk road and the Croe Water, of which 2.9km will be within a tunnel.
A protective 'bund' was built towards the end of 2020 to protect the Old Military Road diversion route - but this, too, has been closed numerous times as a safety precaution
They can be viewed in detail at Transport Scotland’s website - click here for more information.
Helensburgh Central councillor Lorna Douglas said: “The announcement for a new, more resilient, route has been a long time coming and will no doubt still have a long way to go before completion.
“However, it’s happening, and it’s important that we have our say as local users on this side of the Rest and be Thankful.”
Debris being cleared from one of several 'catch pits' next to the carriageway
The deadline for public comments is Friday, May 28.
Meanwhile, BEAR Scotland, the maintenance company responsible for the A83, says the route will remain open 24 hours a day, weather permitting, following what it says was a “successful week-long trial” of monitoring processes.
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