Rest and Be Thankful: £470m tunnel to protect vehicles from landslips

A mile-long tunnel is to be built to protect vehicles from landslips on one of Scotland's most famous tourist roads.

The A83 Rest and be Thankful in Argyll has regularly been closed by falling rocks and debris in recent years.

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

Transport Scotland has now unveiled plans for an open-sided shelter costing up to £470m as its preferred solution.

The A83 is an almost 100-mile (161km) major trunk road connecting the Mull of Kintyre and southern Argyll to the shores of Loch Lomond.

About 1.3 million vehicles travel the route every year and it acts as an important transport link for mainland Argyll as well as the Inner Hebrides.

But the Rest and Be Thankful section - a steep climb out of Glen Croe near Arrochar - is vulnerable to landslides and was closed for a total of 200 days in 2020.

The route got its name because travellers and drovers would stop at the top of the 800ft climb to catch their breath.

When the road is closed, an old military road beneath that was originally built by General George Wade in response to the Jacobite uprisings in the 18th Century is opened to traffic.

But if both roads are closed then a 59-mile (95km) diversion via Crianlarich has to be put in place.

Transport Scotland said the debris flow shelter, which would be about 0.9 miles (1.4km) long, had been chosen ahead of four other design options and would cost between £405m and £470m.

Transport Minister Kevin Stewart said the government had been "working tirelessly to find a long-term solution to the landslip risks".

He said: "The identification of the preferred route option through the Glen Croe valley is a very important milestone in finding a solution to this long-standing problem.

"The proposed new debris flow shelter will help protect the road and road users from future landslides."

Public exhibitions of the new tunnel plan will be held for four days from 12 June in Arrochar and then Lochgilphead. An online exhibition is also be available.

The transport minister said: "Work will now be taken forward at pace to further develop our proposals, including the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option along with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment, draft Road Orders and draft Compulsory Purchase Orders.

"At the same time as progressing the long-term solution, we are looking to increase the resilience of the temporary diversion route along the existing Old Military Road, having identified the preferred route solution for it late last year."