Roads and bridges update

Please find below information on progress on routes still affected
Latest update 16 April. Next update Friday 26 April 2024.

A816 (near Ardfern)

Please find below an update on the A816 - 

• The emergency road opened, under convoy, on 16 December.
• We are continuing to clear the existing A816 road. We have now removed over 15,000 tonnes of debris and are constructing a bund to offer additional protection. 
• We will re-open the main road once the bunds, catch pits and attenuation fencing are installed. This should take four to six weeks to construct once the land access is secured.
• Work is progressing. Specialist barrier contractors have now installed vehicle safety barriers where the bypass joins the A816. This was needed to repair barriers damaged by the landslide.
• We continue to inspect the landslide area following periods of heavy rain.

You can find more detail about the work we are doing here - A816 Landslip

U14 at Scammadale - weight restrictions in place

• The road is open but for safety reasons is restricted to 3.5 tonnes
• The embankment supporting the road was damaged due to exceptionally high river levels caused by the extreme rainfall. 
• The road will be closed from 10pm to 7am on weeknights (except to emergency vehicles) to allow the essential repairs to progress safely
• Our contractor continues to support local residents with fuel deliveries while this repair work continues.
• We were working to a revised completion date of mid to late February. Unfortunately the wet weather, combined with the soils being deeper than expected, meant we had to change from using a 20 tonne drilling machine to using an A frame machine which can deal with deeper soils. This is slower and takes longer to set up for each action.
• Work to make the route safe for all use involves installing rock anchors. As the rock is significantly deeper than anticipated (9m rather than 3m), the programme of works is taking longer than expected. Our approach however is delivering progress - soil nails for the active mesh below the road are complete; the area of deep soil cover has been drilled; the lower retaining wall is installed, along with micropiles and anchors; the excavation for the foundation is underway. We had hoped to complete this by 28 March, subject to weather conditions. 
• Micropiles and anchors are installed and the excavation, blinding and steelworks for the main section of the wall is complete and concrete pouring has started. 
• The middle section of the lower retaining wall has been poured and shutters removed. Excavation and blinding for the foundation of the smaller side section is complete and works to install steelwork are complete with shuttering and pouring of concrete to be undertaken week beginning 15 April.
• The lower slope works on-site are anticipated for completion on the 18 April 2024, allowing the TTRO 5 tonne weight restriction to be lifted. Upper slope meshing works are likely to require a return to night closures, residents will be informed prior to these works. As with all the landslide sites works are weather dependent.

You can find more detail about the work we are doing here - U14 Scammadale - detailed updates

U21 at Slockavullin - weight restrictions in place 

• The road is open but for safety reasons the bridge is restricted to 3.5 tonnes while we progress repairs.
• The bridge itself was damaged in the extreme weather, with high water levels washing part of it away. 
• We have completed the emergency works to the bridge and now have to undertake work on the riverbed. 
• We are monitoring the situation to establish the pitch along the river bed, but will have to wait until water levels are lower.

 You can find more detail about the work we are doing here - U21 Slockavullin - detailed updates

C30 West Loch Awe near Kilmaha 

• The embankment supporting the road at the C30 washed away near Kilmaha.
• We are progressing with stabilisation works which include the use of soil nails to reinforce the embankment
• Work is progressing. We’ve installed a lower retaining wall and anchors on the downslope section. Rock in the mid-section was very deep which required long anchors and deep drilling. The upper slope mesh and the roadside filter drain have been installed. 
• We expected work to be complete by the end of March. However, now the detailed design for the roadside beam is confirmed, the length and depth of the roadside beam means we will require an additional 18 anchors. 
• The upper slope mesh has been installed and is 90% complete, with exception of a cascade area - due to current water levels on the slop. Concrete spraying will be undertaken when a suitable weather window arrives (not too cold and/or wet). The roadside filter drain has been installed. The construction of the lower retaining wall is well underway, digging out is complete, blinding is in place, shutters constructed, steelwork is complete and concrete pouring of concrete started today on 12 April.
• As these works are weather dependent, and the weather has been poor, completion is anticipated by the end of April/early May 2024, slightly longer than anticipated. We had hoped to be finished by mid end of April.

 You can find more detail about the work we are doing here - - C30 West Loch Awe - detailed updates 

For information about any disruptions to other roads, bridges and bin collections, please see our service disruptions page

There is information on our website about other elements of the weather recovery work we are doing - moving on in Argyll and Bute.