Potential November closure of section of A82

Issued by Forestry Commission Scotland

Forestry Commission Scotland is urging transport companies, tour operators, haulage contractors and all other road users to be aware of a proposed closure of the A82 south of Fort William in late November / early December.

The proposed closure would be required to carry out the controlled removal of a 200-250 tonne, unsafe rock from the hillside above the road.

Deemed a potential public safety risk, geotechnical experts have advised that the rock should be removed before the winter when the risk of an unplanned fall could increase.

The Commission is working closely with Transport Scotland to plan the operation and is consulting widely with communities, businesses, the emergency services and other stakeholders.

Mike Green, the Commission’s project leader, said:

“We have considered all the options and taken expert advice on how best to handle this unusual situation. To remove the rock we have no other option but to close the road for a weekend and get the job done as quickly and safely as possible.

“We’re aiming for a Friday evening to Monday morning closure in late November or early December. This time slot is outside the working week and also falls between the end of the main tourist season and the start of the winter season.

“A fixed date can only be agreed once the contractor undertaking the work has fully assessed the job, decided on an appropriate technique and identified the resources necessary to complete the task. The date will be widely publicised as soon as it is agreed.

“We will work closely with Transport Scotland to ensure that advance warnings are provided to road users.”

The highly complex operation will require protecting the road surface, bringing the rock down to the road level, breaking it up and removing it and then clearing up the road surface.

Mike added:

“We appreciate that no time is a good time for this but we have tried to find the solution that causes the least disruption. However, in any solution public safety must come first.

“We understand that it will still cause some inconvenience – and we apologise for that in advance. If we can make as many people aware of the proposed road closure in advance it should help them work around it.”

To keep up to date with the latest project news, follow http://twitter.com/A82operations on Twitter

For all the latest news on the project and the proposed closure visit: www.forestry.gov.uk/A82operations