A83 reopens after heavy rain triggers 500 tonne landslide

This photo shows a considerable volume of debris caught in the fences and pits

The A83 Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll has reopened with a diversion after heavy rainfall overnight triggered a 500-tonne landslide.

Bear Scotland confirmed an assessment by geotechnical engineers found the debris had been intercepted by fences and pits.

But as a safety precaution, traffic has been moved to the diversion route via the Old Military Road.

It is expected the route will be used through to Tuesday when a decision will be made on the full reopening the A83.

Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland project manager, said the alarm was raised after discoloured water and debris were spotted coming down a hillside channel at 07:30.

The A83 was immediately closed as a safety precaution.

He said: "The debris fences and pit have retained all of the debris from what was a considerable landslide event.

"They have protected road users and protected the road itself from damage and will greatly speed up the clear-up operation."

Mr Ross said the use of the Old Military Road had minimised the need for the longer diversion route and advised road users to expect delays of around 20 minutes.

He added: "We will review the situation over the course of the next few days to ensure it is safe to reopen the A83 fully, under traffic signal control."

Transport Scotland announced last June that a mile-long tunnel costing £470m is to be built to protect vehicles from landslips on the A83.

The 100-mile stretch of road, which connects the Mull of Kintyre and southern Argyll to the shores of Loch Lomond, has regularly been closed by falling rocks and debris in recent years.

Last October seven landslips led to 9,500 tonnes of debris crashing onto the road.

The closures can leave motorists facing long detours while the route is cleared

Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland project manager, said: “The on-site traffic management team swiftly alerted of discoloured water and debris coming down a hillside channel at 07:30 this morning and the A83 was immediately closed as a safety precaution.

"The prompt mobilisation of the Old Military Road has minimised the use of the longer diversion route and ensured that Argyll and Bute remains open for business."