Plans to bypass a landslide blackspot in Wester Ross were put before the public yesterday.
Various options for avoiding the A890 on the shore of Loch Carron were put before the Wester Ross community yesterday, including a new bridge across the Strome narrows, a new shared viaduct with the railway and a tunnel through the hillside on the loch shore.
Another plan involves building a new road south of the loch through Gleann Udalain.
However, a community council leader feared that the long-gestating Stromeferry bypass may never happen because of the huge cost.
Lochcarron Community Council chairwoman Helen Murchison said that an upgraded bypass would be a major boost for the area – but questioned whether the project could be delivered.
She said: “It’s a splendid idea but where is the money going to come from in this economic climate?
“This will all be pointless if we settle on an option then no one can afford to do it.
“It’s something that has been talked about going back years in the village, certainly since the 1980s.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll live to see it, I just hope my grandchildren will.”
The A890 has been shut many times over the years by rocks hurtling on to the road causing a 150 mile diversion for drivers and raising fears that a vehicles, including school buses, might be struck.
The cliff has been reinforced with wire netting and steel pins driven into the rock – but Highland Council and contractor URS are looking for a more permanent solution.
The most favoured option is to build a new road on the north shore bypassing Lochcarron and Stronemore before crossing the end of the loch with a low level bridge.
The estimated cost is around £100million.
A second choice is to follow the existing line of the road but put the Kyle railway line which runs parallel to the road out over the water on a viaduct, taking both routes away from the dangerous cliffs.
This would cost £115million.
The third option would see the construction of a southern road at Gleann Udalain and the River Attadale valley.
This would cost £88million – but this could rise to £111million with the addition of link roads to connect the villages of Achmore and Stromeferry to the new road.