Watching & Waiting

Yet once again, the A83 is closed at the Rest and be Thankful due to a small landslide after heavy rain. This time it has happened a few miles west of the Glen Croe section where they have spent a pile of money over the last year or so building landslide defences. There have already been at least 3 landslides west of this part in recent years, so it shouldn't come as any great surprise to the roads engineers! The real irony is that they built a detour route using the old Rest and be Thankful road and its absolutely useless because of the location of today's landslide!<br />
<br />
My real gripe is the authorities reluctance to open the road again after such an incident. It strikes me engineers and officials are totally risk averse and its a case of if in doubt keep it closed. As far as I am aware nobody has ever been killed by a landslide on the road in Scotland. However, every year there are fatalities on our roads because of snow and ice, but they don't close the roads unless they are impassible. Deer are the cause of numerous road accidents in Scotland, but we don't fence off all country roads. Every year we have storms that bring down trees that cause accidents, often fatal, on our roads, but we don't close them when it gets too windy. In every instance it is down to the driver to decide whether to drive or how to drive in these conditions. So why, when a pile of debris is washed onto a road, can't the authorities get it cleared ASAP and put up signs warning drivers of the risk and to proceed with caution? Maybe it just too much like common sense!<br />
<br />
Anyway, Mrs B and I have appointments in Glasgow tomorrow morning that require an early start. Hence the reason I am watching the camera at the top of the Rest and be Thankful to see if it opens. Even if it does, we will probably still head up to Glasgow tonight and stay over to be on the safe side. If it doesn't, we will go for the Dunoon ferry as I just hate the Dalmally diversion.<br />
<br />
On a brighter note, the rain must be off at the top of the Rest as the Polis is out his car talking to someone else in hi-viz.....and they are still talking in the next camera update 15 minutes later!

Update: Road reopened at 5.30 as we were nearing Lochgilphead, which saved us a ferry journey. Passed the scene of the holdup - a small section of embankment had been washed onto the road - enough said!