THE Rest and Be Thankful is to close again from this afternoon for the weekend.

Heavy rain forecast over the weekend has led road bosses to open the Old Military Road as a precaution from 3pm on Friday, October 18.

A decision on reopening the A83 Rest and Be Thankful won't be made until midday on Monday morning after inspections of the hillside and weather forecast.

The trunk road has repeatedly been hit by closures in recent weeks because of the threat of landslips.

Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative, said: “The safety of road users is the priority for BEAR Scotland and we closely monitor conditions at the Rest and Be Thankful on a daily basis.

“Heavy rainfall is expected from this afternoon and it is forecast to continue into Saturday, which will significantly increase saturation levels on the hillside.

"With further rain expected at times over the remainder of the weekend, becoming heavier and more persistent into Sunday morning, we have made the decision to utilise the Old Military Road as a proactive safety measure.

“The use of this route maintains access to the A83 corridor for the travelling public, keeping Argyll very much open for business with minimal delays of around 20 minutes.

“Subject to the weather improving, we plan to inspect the hillside thoroughly on Monday, October 21 and this will inform a decision to return traffic to the A83.”

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