Seconds from disaster in 800-tonne landslide

Published on Wednesday 9 September 2009 22:08

ROAD engineers averted disaster by closing a major tourist route moments before it was engulfed by a landslide, it emerged last night.

Officials switched traffic lights to red on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll as 800 tonnes of rock and debris started crashing up to 450ft down the steep hillside.

They acted after noticing signs of ground movement and discoloured burn water.

The traffic lights were installed after a landslide just yards away in 2007. These restrict traffic to one direction at a time because of the damage the landslide caused to the road, which was closed for two weeks.

Protective measures such as concrete blocks prevented Tuesday's landslide causing further serious damage, which is expected to mean the road can be reopened today.

An embankment on the other side of the road was also reinforced with hundreds of tonnes of rock.

A spokesman for Scotland TranServ, which maintains the road, said engineers decided to shut the route after inspecting the hillside, which was prompted by weather readings.

He told The Scotsman: "As officials closed the road, they heard a rumble behind them and within minutes it had crashed on to the road. It could have been very serious."

Five years ago, a van was swept away on the A85 in Glen Ogle, near Lochearnhead, after two landslides trapped 57 people who had to be airlifted to safety. No one was injured.

Officials said yesterday they hoped to reopen the A83, which links Glasgow with Kintyre, "within 24 hours", removing a 55-mile detour.

The Scottish Government's Transport Scotland agency, which is responsible for trunk roads, said eight abseilers were working to dislodge loose material and check drainage.

Duncan MacNeill, its network manager (north), said: "The safety barriers have minimised the impact of what came down, creating a 'dam'."

However, he said the road may have to close for periods early next year for further repairs planned after the 2007 landslide, including a new culvert.

Stewart Stevenson, the transport minister, who visited the site yesterday, said: "Measures put in in 2007 have protected the road so this landslip did not have the same scouring effect on the road surface.

"Engineers are working above the road, inspecting the stability of the slope and making adjustments to the drainage which we hope will minimise further landslips. However, the whole hillside is essentially unstable so there is the potential for future slips."

A Transport Scotland study last year said attempts to prevent landslips from blocking roads would cost billions of pounds and cause unacceptable environmental damage.

Forecasters said Scotland would enjoy sunshine over the weekend as high pressure moved over the country, with temperatures up to 19C.