After a series of landslides at the Rest and Be Thankful the A83 trunk road in Argyll finally re-opened yesterday.
Around 3,000 tonnes of debris came down the hillside after torrential rain, closing the road for nine days.
Catch pits and fences helped to prevent most of the material from reaching the road.
Teams have worked continuously to carry out repairs to the debris fencing following the landslips, to clear material from the road and debris fences as well as installing additional drainage measures.
A full safety assessment along with a final check with police meant the road was safely reopened around 11.20am yesterday.
Temporary traffic lights will remain in place for safety on the A83 while teams work to continue with remaining landslip mitigation works at the Rest and Be Thankful.
A 24-hour recovery vehicle and additional patrols will be on hand for the next few days to assist any road users as required and help keep traffic moving during the reopening of the A83.
Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative, said: “Following a full safety assessment this morning along with representatives from Police Scotland, we were pleased to reopen the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful following the multiple landslides last week.
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“Teams from multiple organisations have worked tirelessly in what has been challenging conditions to do all they can to secure the slope above the road, repair the fences and keep the Old Military Road and other routes into Argyll open.
“We thank the local community and road users for their patience while our teams worked to reopen the road and encourage them to drive safely through the Rest and Be Thankful while teams complete the remaining repairs at the site.”
Meanwhile, the Leader of Argyll and Bute Council urged the Scottish Government to formally commit to identifying and funding a permanent solution to keep the A83, and Argyll and Bute, open for business.
Councillors unanimously agreed the action yesterday.
Councillor Aileen Morton, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said: “This council, local residents, businesses and parliamentarians have all been clear for years that a permanent solution for the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful is absolutely essential, that the negative impact of the road closures and the negative impact of the reporting of the road closures is detrimental to Argyll’s communities.”
#A83 #RestAndBeThankful has now *REOPENED* after teams completed recovery work after 3,000 tonnes of material reached the debris fences above the A83 last week following multiple landslides. Read more here: https://t.co/BQaEByG14D pic.twitter.com/1NlBuVFNzv
— BEAR NW Trunk Roads (@NWTrunkRoads) October 18, 2018
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Michael Matheson said: “We are very aware of the importance of the A83 to this region and £66million has been spent on the maintenance of this route since 2007.
“This includes over £9.6m towards landslide mitigation works and the local diversion route.”
He added: “Work has already begun on a further £2m worth of mitigation measures to help improve the resilience of the A83 and help keep Argyll open for business.
“I will also reconvene the A83 Taskforce on Nov 15, where we will consider the ongoing challenges at the Rest and Be Thankful.”