Clean-up underway to remove 9,500 tonnes of debris from Scots road following heavy rainfall

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A clean-up operation is underway to remove 9,500 tonnes of debris from the A83 following heavy rainfall last weekend.Video footage on Saturday captured a powerful landslide rip across the busy road in Argyll and Bute just metres away from a car after an amber weather warning was issued across the country The mud and debris flooded the area causing major disruptions for motorists.

A month’s worth of rainfall, around 160mm, fell in the area in just over 36 hours.Road Maintenance firm Bear Scotland said within the section of road closed between the A83 Inveraray and the Rest and Be Thankful, six further landslides were identified.They have removed 9,500 tonnes of debris from the A83 so far, with a further 2,000 tonnes on the hillside likely to need to be removed before the road can safely open.Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said: “The scale of the operation to clear the A83 is considerable, but the teams on site are working hard and for as long as they can safely do so.

We’re working with partners to assess current conditions and continue the clean up in advance of further rain forecast on Tuesday.“We want to thank the local residents in the area for their patience.

Our priority is to get the road open again as soon as possible, while ensuring the safety of those on site.”Road closures will remain in place between Inverarary and Tarbet and the hard closure point is at Ardgartan, with Road Closed Ahead at Tarbet.The Old Military Road is unaffected by the recent weather, but access on the local road network is restricted in addition to the A83 closure. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .