Transport chiefs are facing fresh calls to “prioritise” work to upgrade a landslide-prone Wester Ross road.
The A890 Stromeferry bypass has been shut several times in recent years after rock slides triggered by bad weather.
The route links Lochcarron and Plockton and is one of the main roads to Skye from the east. Motorists face a 140-mile detour whenever it is closed.
Highland Council is consulting the community on a solution, including building a new bridge and bypass, but insist that the cost of each option is beyond the local authority’s budget and that it does not automatically qualify for European funding.
The authority is in discussion with Transport Scotland to look at ways to fund the work, but progress has been slow.
The issue was highlighted in discussions on capital expenditure monitoring during this week’s planning, infrastructure and development committee in Inverness.
Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh councillor Ian Cockburn said: “We really need to get on with this and it can not keep being delayed and delayed.”
Hadded: “If there is another landslide which cuts the road off and there is a 140mile detour, that is a health and safety issue itself, especially in the middle of winter.
“About £21million is needed overall so it is about trying to get the funding. What we don’t want to do is for it to get chucked into the long grass.
“There is still a lot of work to do. They have put a lot of money into it and done a lot of work and talked to the community. Initially there were a lot of route options but now they have whittled it down to three, but they really have to make it a priority.
“A lot of people from Skye have to come that way and the road is a vital, vital link.”
Ballachulish-based contractor Geo-Rope was appointed in July to maintain existing slopes and ditches south of Loch Carron.
The company is also responsible for removing loose blocks and rock spoil, as well as clearing debris from the rock netting.